Lost and Found
by matchaball
Summary: We could meet a thousand different ways in a thousand different times but I'll always know I'll find you. NaruHina AU drabbles.
1. Itsy Bitsy Spider

"I live next door and I heard screaming so I came over thinking someone was getting murdered and now we're both trying to get the spider out of your apartment" au

* * *

"I'll see you later Ino," Hinata called out tiredly as she left her friend's apartment. Now she remembered why she rarely went out clubbing with her friends, particularly the vivacious blonde. Hinata's head was spinning from the little alcohol she drank and the feet throbbing in her heels was telling her what a bad idea walking home at midnight was.

Biting the bullet, Hinata hailed a taxi down to take back to her own apartment. She would normally just walk- she did pack her extra strong pepper spray in her clutch for a reason- since everything was so darn expensive in Sydney but she was too tired and nauseous to even consider stumbling down the empty streets.

She vaguely congratulated herself on choosing to spend a year abroad so far from Japan since she was pretty sure Neji would have her head for walking home late at night by herself.

After some awkward, uncoordinated fumbling with her clutch when it came time to pay the taxi driver, Hinata kicked her ridiculously high heels off the moment her feet touched the cheap carpet of her apartment complex. She couldn't keep her head straight as she dragged herself up two floors to her apartment, dumped everything in her arms on the floor and stripped her dress to replace with an oversized nightshirt and boxers. She attempted to rub her makeup off and ditched the effort halfway to down a glass of water.

She fell into bed exhausted. She dropped off into blissful unconsciousness to the thought that if Kiba burst into her apartment to get early morning all-you-can-eat Saturday pancakes again, she wasn't going to feel guilty drop kicking him off her balcony.

xXx

A high pitched scream tore Hinata violently from her sleep and for one disorienting moment she thought Kiba really had come into her apartment to wake her up early. She realized it was coming from one of the apartments next to her and rolled out of bed before stumbling to yank her door open. The scream was still sounding out from the apartment to her left and she swiftly knocked on their door.

"Sasuke?! Can you help-" The door flew open abruptly and a masculine voice completely different from the high- pitched scream that was apparent just a moment ago halted. Hinata blinked, her tired mind not processing what was wrong but taking in the sight of a very attractive, shirtless guy her age. His gold-coloured hair and startlingly blue eyes completely stunned her and she helplessly realized she was ogling. It was so rare she could appreciate a guy without feeling incredibly self-conscious and embarrassed that it took her longer than she wanted to admit to stop her eyes from lingering over his toned abs and frog-patterned boxers.

"I-I, um, heard screaming?" She belatedly explained herself. Her hangover and lack of proper sleep was the only thing keeping a raging blush from swallowing her face. As it was, Hinata couldn't even meet his eyes after she checked him out so thoroughly and focused on a spot over his shoulder. Her flustered mind completely missed the wide eyed stare and flushed cheeks her neighbour sported.

A movement in the room drew her attention and a shriek of alarm escaped her as an enormous furry grey tarantula the size of her freaking _head_ she swore to God skittered across the ceiling to stop directly above them. It dropped down and without thinking she shoved her neighbour backwards, the sudden motion catching him by surprise as he tumbled to the ground. His hand caught onto her arm as he flailed in vain trying to stabilize himself and he unceremoniously pulled her down on top of him. Hinata felt his warm, smooth chest contract beneath her as the air was knocked from his lungs but she wasted no time in apologizing and promptly rolled both of them out of range.

"Oh god, I thought you were getting murdered or something but this is worse," Hinata gasped as she hurriedly propped herself up, her eyes scanning frantically for the spider. A groan responded her and she tore her gaze from the ceiling to the stunned blonde that she was... Straddling?

"Oh gosh, I-I'm really sorry, I just thought- are you ok? I'm sorry-" Cheeks positively flaming, she jumped up away from him like she'd been shocked. She kept her eyes to his head, the back of which he was rubbing in pain. She did not want to consider his half naked form just lying on the ground in front of her like an offering (she'd definitely been spending too much time with Ino). That was a combustion just waiting to happen.

"Where is it? Is it gone?" Was the dazed reply and Hinata snapped her eyes back to his door where she last saw the spider, thankful for the distraction. Any embarrassment she felt was quickly replaced by horror and panic.

"Do... Do you... Um..." Her shaky voice prompted him to follow her eyeline. His blue eyes grew to the size of saucers.

The huge spider was there, in the corner... Hovering over an egg sac the size of which made Hinata want to vomit.

Simultaneously, they both screamed.

xXx

"You can't crash here idiot. Sakura just moved in and we literally have no space. Do you know how many times I tripped just walking from the bathroom to the kitchen?" Sasuke glared at his idiot best friend, rubbing the bridge of his nose trying to ward off the inevitable headache.

"They need to fumigate my place man. I can't crash at Shikamaru's place, it's way too far!" Naruto argued. "You should've seen the size of that freaking thing, I want to shit my pants just thinking about it-"

"Idiot," Sasuke snarled, shoving the blonde away from the door. "Look, the only place you could possibly even lie down is the kitchen table and there's no way in hell-"

"Um, I'm sorry," a quiet, almost timid voice interrupted them. Sasuke sighed, already done with the morning while Naruto turned his head so fast his neck cricked. Hinata stood there, a bag of laundry held in her hands. She had obviously just come up from the laundry room in the basement and overheard them arguing in her way to her floor. "If- if you need a place for a bit, you're welcome to my apartment. I feel pretty bad about... Well, almost giving you a concussion."

"Nah, I have a thick skull," Naruto chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. He noticed how her eyes scanned his body, before a blush stained her cheeks and she averted her gaze. He grinned, a blush growing on his cheeks to match. She was way too cute. He thought the same the first time he saw her during move-in week and always wished he could strike up a conversation with her but it seemed their schedules never coincided enough for them to run into each other. He was stunned speechless when she had appeared in his doorway earlier this morning.

He inwardly winced, wishing that they met under better circumstances... Then he remembered how she felt tucked perfectly against his chest and her flustered apologies and felt instantly better. Plus it seemed she liked what she saw, he thought smugly, remembering how her eyes had lingered and traced his torso, her gaze as intimate as touch.

"There, you have a place," Sasuke said, his tone more subdued in consideration of Hinata's presence.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked Hinata. "I don't want you to feel obligated or go out of your way- well I mean, you kind of are I guess by offering which is super nice of you, by the way, I just don't want to be an inconvenience."

"No, it's fine," Hinata responded with a kind smile. "It's just a few days right? I wouldn't want you to have to worry about finding a place to stay with exams coming up."

"Well I mean, if you don't mind then-"

"Is that Naruto I hear?" A female voice sounded from inside the apartment and a pink-haired woman appeared shortly beside Sasuke. "Hey Naruto! Your mooching days are over because if you're here to raid the fridge again... Oh hey!" She caught herself, her green eyes widening in recognition and mischief at the sight of Hinata. "Isn't this the girl you couldn't stop talking about-?"

"OKAY!" Naruto coughed loudly over Sakura. He turned to Hinata. "If it's not too much trouble I'll take you up on your offer. Sakura, please shut up."

"Rich, coming from you," Sakura snorted in laughter, evidently not offended.

"It's ok," Hinata repeated, her pearl coloured eyes betraying her confusion at their banter. The kind smile didn't diminish though. "I'll leave the door unlocked whenever you're ready to come up."

"Oh I'll come up now with you," Naruto hastily swiped a lumpy duffel bag off the floor and walked over to Hinata. He didn't miss the growing smirk on Sakura's face nor the shaking of Sasuke's head and subtly moved to block them from Hinata's view. To her credit, she appeared to either ignore them or, bless her heart, didn't see.

As the pair walked up the stairs to their floor, Hinata snuck nervous looks at the blonde beside her. What was she thinking? He went from stranger to roommate in less than a day which spun her mind considering how long it took for her to open up to people. He was super attractive too. Ino was going to have a field day when she found out about this.

Naruto was just praying he wouldn't screw this up. Guess he'll have to remember to lower the toilet seat and not walk around nude after his showers.

Hinata unlocked her door and waved Naruto in. She looked around her place- thank goodness she was a naturally tidy person- and decided to give him the run down of her place though it wasn't laid out much differently than his apartment. She went through the rooms with him and patted herself for getting a pull-out couch.

"Hey, you like The Gutsy Ninja?" Naruto exclaimed as he perused her stuffed bookshelf and movie collection. "And look, you have The Lion King and Toy Story- man, you're such a cool person!" An alarmingly vibrant blush suffused Hinata's cheeks. "And you have a bunch of plant books too- you like to garden? Me too! Love plants even though I'm not around enough to take care of them very well." He straightened up and turned to face Hinata, chuckling at her red face. "You're going to be super fun to room with... Ah, I never got your name!"

"Oh!" Hinata kicked herself for her lack of manners though when first introductions happened during a spider attack, she supposed it was understandable. "I'm Hinata. Hinata Hyuuga." She held out her hand.

Naruto clasped it warmly, a contagious grin. "And I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Pleased as punch to officially meet you!"

Hinata laughed at his cheesiness. Any tension she felt previously dissipated at his natural good cheer and she couldn't help but think that this could be the start of something wonderful.

Little did she know, the exact same thought was running through Naruto's mind as his grin widened at her laugh.

xXx

"Ha_ hah_!" Sakura grinned in triumph as she heard Hinata's laughter echoing faintly in the stairwell. "I am so good at this! Naruto's going to thank me one day."

Sasuke grunted, a thundercloud hanging over his head.

"Oh, don't be such a sourpuss Sasuke. That spider wasn't so big."

"Next time, you can deal with it."

* * *

**AN:** I'm an avid tumblr creeper and have hoarded a bunch of AU prompts with the intention of writing a series of unrelated NaruHina drabbles with them. There's just something about AUs and NaruHina that I'm a huge fan of! If you have a suggestion yourself, feel free to leave it in a review or PM me!


	2. Inspired

"I saw you break that thing by accident but your secret is safe with me" au

* * *

Naruto set his sketchbook to the side before he stretched his arms above his head, letting out a huge sigh. He twisted his back and grinned at the subsequent pops that sounded before leaning back to relax on the bench. His gaze wandered over the crowd of people meandering about the gallery, taking the time to just observe and appreciate their focus and interest in the paintings hanging on the walls.

Life as an animator meant that in a way, Naruto was always working. When he wasn't in studio working on a shot or in production, he was outside just sketching and capturing moments in his sketchbook, recording the information away for possible future use. A former mentor, Jiraiya, put it as 'building a library of relationships', quipping cheekily at the end that Naruto would need all the help he could get when he finally got a girlfriend.

Naruto rolled his eyes upward to the skylight, taking in the deep blue summer sky and puffy white clouds. If researching relationships meant drawing the clasp of an elderly couple walking down the street or the whisper between two teenagers sitting at a cafe, he'd take that over Jiraiya's research... His cheeks warmed in embarrassment at his mentor's more scandalous drawings. He hurriedly turned his gaze back to the crowd to distract himself.

Naruto had been working at Konoha Studios for years, doing grunt work animating in-betweens and background characters and objects and gradually moving up to animating serious character acting scenes. But his ultimate dream was to direct movies of his own. He never lacked for ideas but long, late nights with scribbled storyboards and balled up pieces of paper showed his frustration in discovering that extra element that made a story truly special, one that would resound with audiences for years to come. He went to many different places to sketch not only to unwind, but also to see if there was something that could inspire him.

He sat amongst the paintings for while before getting up and wandering outside to the sculpture garden. His sketchbook was held rather listlessly in his hand and he scanned the few people wandering on the stone paths admiring the mix of modern and classical sculptures displayed in the neatly arranged garden. It was a slow day despite the gorgeous summer weather but he took his time strolling down a few paths and visiting some of his favourite sculptures before settling onto a bench. He flipped his sketchbook open to a fresh page and waited.

Not too long after he sat down, a young family came walking by, the parents fussing over a baby in the stroller while a little girl of about seven skipped happily ahead, pausing every once in a while to examine a bug on the ground. Naruto smiled at her charm and began sketching. He glanced up every once in a while to observe her and was in the middle of drawing her outstretched arm reaching for a flower when quick reproach from one of her fathers stopped her.

"Look, don't touch," he told her.

The little girl pouted, obviously unhappy at having her fun taken away from her and Naruto was just about to get up to give a drawing to her to cheer her up when someone else beat him to it.

"No worries, you can have one of mine." A young woman holding a handful of wildflowers not unlike the flowers growing in the garden teased a lily out of the bouquet and gave it to the girl who accepted with a delighted gasp.

Naruto quickly sat down and started sketching furiously, trying to capture the spontaneity of the moment. The girl bloomed on his page quickly, almost as if the previous sketches he'd done of her had been studies leading up to this moment. As he turned his attention to the young woman, his pencil made long strokes down the page and he couldn't help but notice how very lovely she was with her indigo-coloured hair braided neatly over her shoulder, long skirt fluttering around her ankles, and a pretty blush dusting her cheekbones. The colourful bunch of wildflowers held in her slim hands became quick scribbles and her messenger bag with a thick book peeking out were reduced to simple boxes. He paused for just a moment as he took the time to study her face.

He'd seen his fair share of beautiful women. Heck, he's seen his fair share of naked women and the many sketchbooks littered with anatomy studies and character designs showed he had studying the human figure- and in this case, the female form- down to an art. He inwardly chuckled at his lame pun, thinking how Jiraiya would've bonked him on the head for that one. Naruto was no stranger to beauty and though he appreciated the many forms it manifested as, there weren't many things that could truly catch and hold his admittedly appallingly short attention span.

Naruto felt his eyes continually drawn to the young woman like a magnet. It was her eyes that were so very remarkable. They were soft and so transparent in their sincerity that Naruto couldn't look away. The young woman tilted her head as she laughed at something the girl's parents said to her and the way the sunlight lit her stunningly unique grey eyes turned them into a silver so light they could be mistaken for white. Naruto didn't even realize that he was no longer drawing, the pencil almost falling from his unresponsive fingers leaving the sketch unfinished. He watched, fascinated by how emotions played out in her expressions and the small gestures she made with her hands. He wondered vaguely if she was a pianist. She had the most beautiful hands he'd ever seen and he itched to sculpt them.

She finished her conversation with the two fathers and plucked out another flower- this one a daffodil- and handed it to the girl again before bidding them good-bye. As she walked away, she adjusted the bag on her shoulder and the book that had been peeking out rather precariously before fell out. Naruto didn't even think as his body instinctively scrambled off the bench, sketchbook clenched in his hand.

In his hurry to get the book, he almost ran into the little girl who had darted across the path intent on following a butterfly. He tripped in his haste to avoid knocking her down and his hands flailed as he tried valiantly to keep his balance.

One gasp and a crack later, Naruto was on the ground planted on his butt, his sketchbook thrown just shy of where the book lay, and clutching several somethings that were small and smooth in his hand. The girl was skipping back to her parents clearly unaware of what just happened.

Naruto blinked confusedly, mind still not caught up with what just happened. Almost in a daze, he opened his hand to examine what he gained. His bright blue eyes fell to the objects in his hand and he could feel the blood rushing out of his tanned face in horror.

Sitting deceivingly innocently in his palm were four pale marble fingers, one end tapering to masterfully sculpted fingernails and the other end glaringly jagged from where it broke off. Naruto glanced up and saw the sculpture he just broke. The marble woman was draped in voluminous cloth with one hand falling lightly over her heart and the other offered out with her palm up, as if offering assistance. Though her gaze was one of peace and comfort, all Naruto could see was anger and accusation.

_Shit, shit, shit I definitely don't have enough to buy this thing and if the artist sues I'm definitely toast-_

"Are you ok?" A soft, gentle voice broke through his panicked thought process and Naruto wrenched his gaze from the accusing statue to the young woman he had been hurrying after. Her light grey eyes traced his face, clearly looking for injury when he didn't respond as he was too surprised by her sudden appearance. He saw when her gaze landed on the four fingers in his hand and as a hand went to hide a gasp, Naruto couldn't tell if it was in surprise or disgust.

"It was totally an accident. I fell- well, I mean I tripped, and I didn't want to fall on that little girl or squash any of the flowers and I guess I wasn't paying attention to what was around me. You dropped your book, I was running to give it back to you." Somewhere in the back of his mind, Naruto realized he was going an absolutely awful job at explaining himself. He took a deep breath to steady himself. "But yes. I'm ok. The statue on the other hand..." He looked mournfully at the marble sculpture.

A soft giggle was like music to his ears and he saw with some astonishment that she was laughing. Instead of feeling belittled or offended, Naruto found himself relaxing and even chuckling along with her. She wore gentleness and sweetness as naturally as the flowers in her hand wore their petals.

She offered her free hand to help him up and as Naruto clasped his own larger hand in hers, he couldn't help but notice how her pose echoed the statue's and wondered if the artist had been inspired by someone like her.

"Ah, thank you," Naruto grinned sheepishly when he was back on his feet. He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Jeez I dunno how I'm going to explain this to the guards..." The fingers rolled in his palm feeling like lead weights.

"I have an idea," she said. Gosh even her voice was pretty. She spoke quietly but with purpose and Naruto found himself leaning closer to listen to her better. She wasn't looking at him but rather thoughtfully at the statue instead. After a moment of consideration, she reached out and placed the handful of flowers she'd been holding into the broken, empty palm, tucking the ends securely under the thumb which was still intact. "There," she nodded as she stepped back to admire her handiwork. "I think I rather like it better this way. Don't worry, I won't tell the guards. Your secret's safe with me," she teased.

Naruto laughed, impressed. The statue, so vindictive to him before now looked vibrant and animated. The flowers subtly covered the spaces where the fingers had been and gave colour and cheer to the statue. He turned to the woman, a wide grin on his lips and found his sketchbook being offered back to him.

"I believe you dropped this," she said with a small but sincere smile and a twinkle in her eye, the blush on her cheeks increasing as his fingers brushed hers to take it. "You're an artist?"

"An animator," Naruto confirmed. He saw the book she dropped earlier in her other hand. The pages were thick, the book obviously stuffed with something. "Is that your sketchbook too?"

"Oh," the woman laughed a little nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. Naruto saw how she leaned ever so slightly away, as if bracing herself for impact and he inwardly frowned, wondering what happened that would make her react like that to an innocent question. "It's not really a sketchbook. It's a little silly actually..."

"If it's important to you, it's definitely not silly," Naruto assured her with a gentler, more understanding smile. He'd often been told that his greatest and most expressive feature were his bright blue eyes and he widened them in earnest at her, hoping to draw out a positive response. She seemed to blush even more but a hesitant smile stole across her face once more. "I'll show you my sketchbook if you want." That perked her up and he felt warmed that she was so interested in the arts. Well, he did bump into her in a sculpture garden.

She hesitated once more before slowly drawing the book out from where it was hiding away tucked by her side. She gently opened the cover and Naruto saw a name flash on the page before she turned it.

_Hinata Hyuuga. _

He was just contemplating what a great name she even had- sunshine! If that wasn't an indicator to her personality or at least her nature, he would give up ramen for a month- when he saw she had opened her book to a page. Pressed into each page was a flower, dried and preserved so perfectly he could make out the little veins in the petals and leaves. Even the colours were still bright and cheerful, despite the age some of the flowers must've been.

"Wow, this is so awesome!" Naruto exclaimed and he leaned down to get a closer look. "This definitely isn't silly. You're capturing a piece of time. They're like photographs, but less forward with what they represent. Although I'm sensing a story here," he continued as he very gingerly flipped through the pages. "Heather and cypress flowers, forget-me-nots and cornflowers, goldenrods and lily-of-the-valley-" Naruto stopped abruptly, realizing he was rambling. He glanced up and if Hinata had been blushing before, she was positively glowing with how red she was now. He mischievously wondered how red he could make her go.

"You know your flowers very well," she commented, her voice mild though there was pleasure and a kind of vulnerability in her eyes that made Naruto realize she wasn't expecting even a positive response, let alone such an enthusiastic one.

"I have a friend who runs a flower shop," Naruto explained, letting his hand fall away from the book. "There was no way she would leave anyone uneducated on such things." He snickered, remembering Shikamaru's doomed expression when Ino had stoutly told him that if he wanted to impress Temari then he had no choice but to learn. "I meant what I said. They really are just fragments of a moment that all add up to tell a story. And stories are something of a specialty of mine."

An even wider yet still bashful smile stretched across Hinata's face and Naruto decided right then that he really liked her smile. "You have a way with words... I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Naruto!" Naruto stuck his hand out for a handshake. "Naruto Uzumaki at your service!" He was rewarded with gentle laughter.

"Hinata Hyuuga," she responded, firmly shaking his hand back. "Have you written many stories yourself?"

"Quite a few," Naruto admitted. He was surprised how reluctant he was to let go of her hand though he allowed it to drop from his grip lest he alarmed her. "There always seemed to be something missing though, something that I wasn't sure I'd found that would make the story truly special..." As he spoke, he wondered what felt off about that sentence. He turned it over again in his mind and was struck dumb. Wasn't. _Wasn't_ sure. Past tense. But when did that happen? He knew instinctively that it wasn't a slip of tongue.

"Every story is special," Hinata replied. "Sometimes it's just finding the right person to tell it to. Sometimes what makes a story so special isn't how remarkable it is, but how unremarkable it appears to be."

Naruto gaped at her. In an instant, he saw not only how lovely her features were but also the person she was tucked in every smile and curve of her eyes. There was strength in the set of her shoulders yet reserve in how she tucked her arm behind her. He read humility and modesty in her blush and saw the heart she wore on her sleeve. It felt like he suddenly got glasses and was seeing things clearly for the first time. He hurriedly opened his sketchbook to the pages he drew of the little girl and her.

"This was just a sketch of a moment," Naruto stumbled over his words, trying to carry his newfound revelation across as quickly as he could. "It felt like the beginning of something. And here-" he flipped forward, and the girl disappeared from the sketches leaving only drawings of Hinata on the pages, "-I saw something, like a story waiting to be told. I mean, everyone has a story, whether or not they want to share it but you..." He finally looked up to see her reaction.

Hinata was staring, transfixed at the drawings of her and her long slim fingers reached out, as if to touch them before stopping just shy of the page, is if remembering not to disturb the drawing but unable to fully pull away. He saw astonishment, confusion, and bewilderment flit across her face though he could tell, from how her fingers shook and her how her eyes lowered that none of the emotions were directed at him but were inward manifestations that overflowed to the surface.

Naruto closed his hand over hers in a gentle grasp, stilling her trembling hand and offering some warmth and comfort. She looked up from the page and all he could see was wonder in her eyes.

"You are something special," Naruto finished quietly. Hinata's eyes widened but she didn't move her hand away. Naruto could see a thought being turned over in her mind before her hand turned slowly in his grasp to entwine their hands. Naruto could feel a blush suffusing his own cheeks and he definitely saw her own cheeks turn bright red before she ducked her head down again to look at the drawings.

"It's just the beginning," Naruto continued, "but I know it's a story I would want to hear, if you want to tell it."

Hinata looked up at him again and this time, she didn't look away. The most beautiful smile he'd ever seen spread across her face. Smiles transformed her, he realized. Made her happiness a warmth and a gift he never realized he wanted or needed until he saw it.

"I think we could figure something out," Hinata quietly replied, though the happiness and wonder in her eyes spoke volumes. Naruto grinned widely in response and closed his sketchbook.

They walked throughout the sculpture garden hand in hand, the gesture so natural that neither of them felt uncomfortable in the slightest or bothered to question it. They paused every once in a while for Hinata to pick a flower discreetly from the garden and she laughingly commented that the guards would likely take issue with her too.

"Don't worry," Naruto grinned. "Your secret is safe with me." She laughed and blushed at his echo of her words and he felt like he was flying.

As Hinata told him how she got into flower pressing, Naruto smiled unrestrainedly at her story and the warmth of her hand clasped in his. His sketchbook was tucked firmly on his other side and he knew that when he had the moment to sit down and draw again, they were all going to be drawings of her.

* * *

**AN:** What absolute dorks. They are going to be the death of me. So fun fact, I am studying character animation myself! It's so fun but so time consuming so I guess you can tell by now that updates will be pretty sporadic. Hopefully I'll be able to update faster though, because these are really fun to write! Apologies for any spelling or grammar errors (feel free to point them out to me) as I write these all on my phone and editing has never been a strong suit of mine. Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Edit: Thank you Raine Wintermoon for pointing out a spelling error!


	3. A Flower For Your Thoughts (pt 1)

"But imagine a new flower shop right next to where Hinata works and she doesn't think much of it until one day it starts getting filled with the prettiest sunflowers she's seen and she HAS to know where they came from, so she starts talking to the cute flower boy and finds out they're the only flowers he can grow perfectly for some reason and she buys a bouquet every week or so until one day she finds the biggest floral arrangement and a love letter with the most awful handwriting ever" au

* * *

The heavy slap of raindrops hitting the awning of the shop was the only warning Hinata had before it started to absolutely pour without abandon. Almost instinctively, she ducked into the warm shop. The hot tea in her to-go cup splashed over onto her hand as she jostled open the door and she hissed in pain before switching the cup to her other hand. She flexed and stretched her offended hand, hoping it wouldn't stiffen up and give her trouble when she gave Sakura her tattoo later, and took a curious glance around the place she wound up at.

Crowded bouquets of flowers peeked out to look at her from the tables and shelves, pots of succulents and cacti were tucked on every empty surface, and hanging baskets overflowing with arrangements filled the air. Most vibrant of all was the abundant and cheerful display of daffodils in the large front windows. Hinata wondered how she could have possibly missed the chorus of colours when she was first passing by.

As she wandered around, she rolled up the damp semi-transparent sleeves of her blouse to bare slender and pale forearms. Vines and leaves curled out shyly from where her sleeves were neatly folded and she was grateful that the owner wasn't in sight. Her tattoos were not always a welcome sight to everyone. Nevertheless, she kept her arms low and tucked to her side as she meandered around the tables and shelves.

The store was in a state of organized chaos, and Hinata recalled Shino telling her of a flower shop that opened just a week ago. She kind of hoped the store owner would keep it this way, with the lilies and roses and peonies all sprinkled together and little succulent surprises tucked where they were least expected. It was inviting and warm and actually reminded her a little of her mother's garden, bittersweet as the memory was.

The store wasn't very large and the flora crowded together made the space smaller still, but Hinata found she was not at a loss for things to do and discover. She found small terrariums hanging over the counter where the cash register and wrapping station were, stumbled upon a corner where different herbs were growing, and even spotted a water canister in the shape of a frog underneath one of the tables. She took note of the different colours the mixes of cosmos and freesia created and thought she had never seen echeveria in such a amazing shade of purple before.

She was in the middle of examining a cluster of snapdragons when the lack of noise from outside drew her attention. The rain had lightened considerably and, after a quick peek at the clock on the wall, Hinata realized she needed to get moving if she wanted to set up her workspace and tattoo machine in time.

The owner was still nowhere in sight, but the flower shop was right across the studio. Hinata could see Kiba greeting his next client and Shino checking the computer at the front desk.

Hinata hesitated on her way out as the daffodils caught her eye once more, their bright and sunny faces almost imploring her to take some to freshen up the studio. She set her empty cup down and moved to gather a few up to buy. If anything, she knew Kurenai would love them when she visited next. She picked out a few and moved to the counter to pay for them and almost tripped when she saw presumably the owner step out of the door leading to the back.

He was a lot younger than she thought he would be, around her age or perhaps a little older. He would've been intimidating, since he stood a good head above her and towered over her smaller frame, but his cheerful, almost mischievous smile, bright orange sweater, and sparkling blue eyes left her simultaneously at ease and set her heart racing.

"Found everything ok, miss?" He asked her as she set the flowers down. He had a deeper baritone and Hinata felt the strange desire to hear him hum.

She gave him a quick nod and a shy smile before counting out the appropriate amount. He accepted her money and gave her a quick glance up as he rummaged for the right change. Hinata thought he was going to speak to her again when the ring of a text beeped urgently from her pocket. A message informed her that Sakura would be early.

"I'm sorry, I best get going." Hinata wished she could stay longer, maybe talk more to the flower shop boy that she felt drawn to.

"No worries! Have a wonderful day, miss." He seemed to look a little disappointed but he winked and made his way to the front to hold the door open for her. Hinata gave him another smile while wishing she could give him more before she walked out of the shop to cross the street and enter Studio Eight.

"You're almost late for once, Hinata," Kiba teased her from his station. He was in the middle of transferring a design onto his client's thigh for approval before doing the actual inking. Kurenai always scolded him for not giving his full attention to the task at hand but Hinata knew that Kiba worked best when he was relaxed and going with the flow.

"Almost, but not quite," she cheekily replied. She filled the empty vase on the front desk with some water before gently setting the daffodils in it. Before she slipped to the back where her workstation was, she looked out their front window and saw the bright orange sweater of the flower shop boy among the display of daffodils across the street. They were a bright spot, almost like a smile, through the haze of the light spring rain.

When Sakura came and Hinata got to work transferring the lotus flower onto Sakura's upper arm, she couldn't help but keep a smile tucked into the corners of her mouth.

"You seem happy," Sakura commented, her bright green eyes effortlessly reading her friend's expressions. "Did something exciting happen?"

Hinata hummed in confirmation, her smile growing a little bigger as she savoured the lovely memory of the warm flower shop and tucked the cheerful grin of the flower shop boy a little closer to her heart.

xXx

Hinata meant to go back to the flower shop, perhaps buy a few flowers to brighten the front desk, maybe even be inspired to design some new tattoos, but the next few weeks saw a whole floodgate of clients. Ever since Kurenai switched careers from tattooing to teaching, all her clients migrated to her protégés. Hinata was thankful for the business and she, Shino, and Kiba were thrilled by the exposure their studio was getting.

It was rough, getting Studio Eight set up at first after they had completed an apprenticeship with Kurenai, one of the biggest and most talented tattoo artists in the Konoha area. All three of them were extremely talented at their respective styles, there was no denying, but the competition was tough.

Kiba attracted the most customers at first, being the most outgoing of the trio. His style was also generally much louder than Shino's and Hinata's and more recognizably eyecatching. He specialized in animal designs, using bold, almost feral strokes reminiscent of tribal warrior tattoos and prominent blocks of colour. The effect was graphic and powerful, just the way Kiba liked it. His arms and chest were covered in wolves, his favourite animals, and red fangs adorned his cheeks. _Live the art you love_, was his motto.

Shino's style was much quieter, using fragile lines and precise shading instead of colour to create delicate and highly detailed illustrations and geometric patterns. Subtlety was Shino's key word. They were designs that made people take a second glance, that almost seemed to blend in with the body if they weren't paying attention. Contrary to Kiba, Shino's tattoos were small and scattered on different parts of his body.

In the end, it was Hinata who ended up attracting the most customers. She used colour like a composer and there was no denying the beauty of her technique. Though she primarily drew floral designs and patterns, she could do most anything naturalistic from waves of the sea to mountain ranges. She was always surprised by the volume of her clientele, not because she thought she was untalented but because she always knew there were other tattoo artists that did finer work.

The flower shop across the street was always a welcome sight, especially during the more stressful days. When Hinata could, she liked to just sit at the front desk with a mug of tea in her hands, sketchbook in front of her, and admire the different floral arrangements the front window displayed. It changed more frequently than she thought was the norm, but she always appreciated each arrangement of different flowers.

Of course, she would be lying if she admitted she liked to watch the flower shop for nothing more than just the flowers.

The flower boy - so Shino and Kiba had taken to calling him - was a sight for sore eyes, and Hinata found herself doodling his figure in her sketchbook probably more than was appropriate. He was always wearing something orange, which made him easy to spot among all the greenery in the shop, and his bright blonde hair and easy smiles at customers always drew her gaze to him like a magnet. She loved watching him change the window displays, loved how he rolled his sleeves up to reveal powerful forearms, how his touch was always gentle as to not disturb the flowers more than necessary, how his brows would furrow when something didn't look quite right.

Whenever he looked out the window, she sometimes imagined he was actually looking at her.

Well, that was probably not the case but she could dream. Could dream those startlingly blue eyes creased in happiness at the sight of her, could dream that maybe some of those flowers he held were meant for her.

"Hinata? Hey Hinataaaaa." Hinata was jerked out of her reverie when Kiba literally stuck his face right in front of hers. The red fangs tattooed on his cheeks seemed to grin knowingly at her. "Jeez, you're so out of it. Are you done with the computer? I need to check something."

"Oh!" A blush crawled across her cheeks and she hurriedly thrust herself away from the computer. "Yes, yes, I'm done. Sorry, here you go."

"So what's gotten you all spacey?" Kiba drawled as he slid into the seat. "Hey, you didn't even pull up the client files!"

"I didn't?" The blush deepened. "Sorry, I was... distracted."

"It wouldn't have to do with the flower boy again would it?" Kiba tossed a teasing glance over to her and let out a deep, barking laugh when there was no reply, only a fervent look out the window and the blush getting so red he thought he could almost feel its heat from where he sat.

"Kiba, wherever Hinata derives her ocular pleasure from should be none of your concern," Shino joined their conversation as he handed each of them a coffee mug. Kiba laughed harder at Shino's dry teasing and accepted the cup of black coffee without taking his eyes off the screen. Hinata groaned as she hung her head and covered her face with a hand as her other hand took the mug of green tea Shino prepared for her.

"You should just go talk to him, visit the shop," Kiba suggested as he pulled up the file he was looking for. "This can't be good for you, sitting in here and mooning after him from afar."

"Kiba!" Hinata exclaimed in dismay. "I... I wouldn't know what to say to him. You know I'm not very good at meeting new people. Plus I'm pretty sure he's caught me staring after him a couple times..."

"Kurenai noticed after ten minutes when she came here last week," Shino deadpanned. Hinata buried her face in her free hand again.

"The point is," Kiba waved his mug in the air as he spun his chair around to face them properly. "You should do something. You have the hots for him, he seems like a decent guy, and look he's even running a flower shop. If that isn't the perfect thing for you, I don't know what would be."

Hinata uncovered her face and her hand went to rub her arm absentmindedly, the semi-sheer fabric of her sleeves stretching taut and revealing intricate swirls of vines dotted with leaves and blooming flowers spiraling down her upper arm. The vines covered the entirety of her biceps, reaching up to entwine through the limbs of the two lionesses wound around her shoulders. But just because she had flowers tattoos didn't mean they were a perfect match...

"We will not pressure you to do anything you do not want to do," Shino put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "But you took a chance when you moved out of the Hyuuga household, when you got into tattooing, when you allowed Kiba and myself to help you cover your scars." Hinata slowly looked up into the tinted glasses of her friend.

"You never know till you try," Kiba agreed, draining the dregs of his coffee and setting his cup down authoritatively. "You've got nothing to lose. What are you waiting for?"

It was meant to be a rhetorical question, but Hinata paused and gave it some consideration. Her finger absentmindedly traced one of the more prominent scars on her arm and she knew her answer then.

She sighed, and admitted, "The right moment."

"You're evading," Shino commented mildly. "You should know by now that the 'right moment' is just an illusion."

Hinata shook her head, a smile tugging her lips as Shino called her out. In a way, he was right. She was evading. But she also knew from experience what an opportune moment looked and felt like. Not to say she was looking for the perfect sign to prompt her, because the past taught her that the most important moments came when she decided to gather her courage and step on her own road.

"Heck, he could be sending you signals all this time and you'd just be missing them," Kiba guffawed. "Nah, don't worry, Hinata, we're just teasing. You know as long as you're happy, we're happy."

"I know, and thank you," Hinata smiled, grateful for the support of her two closest and oldest friends. "Are you done, Kiba? I think I'll sit here and sketch a bit before Ino comes in for her appointment."

"And watch flower boy?" Kiba teased as he hopped out of the seat.

"Maybe," Hinata laughed in defeat. She resumed her place in the chair and smiled a goodbye as Shino and Kiba left to clean up and prep their stations.

Flower boy unfortunately didn't appear in her line of sight for the next while, but Hinata saw people going in and out of the store and figured he was busy. Well, it wasn't like he existed solely for her to constantly watch and admire.

Hinata hummed to herself as she drew the lovely white gardenias on display this week. She wondered if maybe Shino would be interested in adding the flowers to his portfolio. She thought the details of the petals would suit his style very well. In the middle of drawing a cluster of them on her page, she glanced up and saw Ino exiting the flower shop. Hinata sucked in a deep breath, unsure why she suddenly felt so nervous.

The blonde entered the tattoo studio and her sky blue eyes brightened upon seeing Hinata.

"Hinata! I'm so excited for this next tattoo, I've been saving up for ages to get another one from you!" Ino exclaimed as she walked over to the front desk. "I have a couple of ideas but I really want to know what you would suggest. Hey! What'cha drawing there?" She leaned over the counter and drew the sketchbook towards her. They were good friends, and Hinata was used to Ino's vivacious and curious personality. Ino was silent as she flipped through some of the pages, and then glanced up at Hinata, her eyes knowing. "Are these flowers from the flower shop across the street?"

"Yes," Hinata replied, warily leaning back in her chair as saw a grin stretch across Ino's face. "They always have really nice displays."

"Oh ho, you think so, don't you?" Ino giggled and Hinata thought maybe she was chewing on an inside joke because she had no idea what was so funny. "Are these all flowers from the past couple weeks?"

Hinata nodded in confirmation. "He changes them so often. But they're always really beautifully arranged."

"Bet you like watching him too, don't you?" Ino gave her a hearty wink and laughed when Hinata's face lit up with a blush. "He's a friend of mine actually. His name is Naruto. He's a dork but he's a good guy. Great heart. Really knows his way with flowers. Can probably speak with them as fluently as you can."

Hinata gave her a wide-eyed stare. That couldn't mean what she thought it meant.

Ino just gave her the biggest grin back. "Don't ignore what you see, is what I'm telling you girl. I demand to know all the details later, but unfortunately I can only stop by for a quick consultation today. Sai needs help with his paintings again and I can't seem to say no to him lately..."

Hinata shook her head to clear her mind and stood up. "Let's go to my workspace then and we can draw something for you." The sketchbook was clutched in her suddenly sweaty hands. The yellow chrysanthemums, pansies, sweetpeas, and ranunculus drawn amongst its pages seemed to burn and she could almost feel their warmth. All flowers denoting attraction, admiration, and love... but perhaps it was a coincidence.

Even more likely, it probably wasn't even directed at her. He probably had a girlfriend. He seemed like he would, a guy as attractive and good-hearted as him.

She was a little distracted throughout her consultation with Ino but the blonde seemed to enjoy rather than be annoyed at her spaciness.

"Looks like spring is in the air!" Ino declared.

"What?" Hinata jerked up from flipping through an album of her tattoos and drawings, her pale lavender eyes wide and a slight blush staining her cheeks.

"I was talking about all the flowers we were looking at for my tattoo," Ino batted her eyelashes at her friend innocently. The smirk dancing on her lips said otherwise.

Hinata shook her head with a laugh of disbelief. "You're fooling no one."

"Neither are you," Ino shot back cheekily. "Anyway, let's go with the Queen Anne's Lace winding around my wrist to my elbow. I'll have lace gloves without all the hassle!"

Hinata nodded in agreement and neatly gathered all the materials spread out across her desk into a pile. She walked Ino to the front and couldn't help herself from sneaking peaks at the flower shop as Ino paid.

"You'll burn a hole through both of your windows at this rate," Ino laughed. Of course she'd notice. She winked at Hinata as she left, who looked torn between being mortified and resigned at being caught. "Let those lionesses on your shoulders roar!"

Hinata laughed at Ino's encouragement and shook her head as the door closed. She flipped open her sketchbook again and hesitatingly went through the flowers she drew from the past weeks.

_"Heck, he could be sending you signals all this time and you'd just be missing them." _

_"Don't ignore what you see, is what I'm telling you girl."_

The last thing she wanted though was to jump to conclusions and pitch herself straight into the fire.

The last maelstrom she endured was when she announced she was moving out and pursuing a career as a tattoo artist. Her father was furious. But more than furious, he became broken. She carried that weight for a very long time and it almost crushed her, knowing that she was always the source of her father's pain and disappointment. First it was the car accident that killed her mother who shielded her from impact and then it was when she admitted she couldn't become the head of Byakugan Industries, the family's aeronautics company that Hiashi had ressurected from the ashes.

Hinata never could see herself in the role that her father always wanted her to fit.

The vines, leaves, thorns, and flowers she got tattooed around the scars on her upper arms, shoulders, and back, courtesy of Shino though the designs were hers, was the first step she took to healing herself. Throughout her childhood the scars from the car crash haunted both her and Hiashi, reminding them both of what they lost. Hinata spent hours in the garden her mother tended, taking comfort in the herb garden and the beautiful lavenders that she used to grow. She'd press the flowers right before they died and carry the book everywhere she went, taking comfort in her connection with her mother.

She made the decision to tattoo the garden onto her skin when she realized she hid herself in baggy clothes that covered everything and shrank at the sight of mirrors, when she realized how stifled she had become.

Pressing flowers was not enough. She needed to bloom from amongst the thorns she found herself caged in.

It was years since her decision and his anger drove a rent in their relationship, and though it took a lot of time and painful effort on both parts, they had a good relationship now. Hanabi and Neji were tremendous help in soothing the storm. It was after the first family dinner that Hinata attended where Hiashi told her how proud he was of her for pursuing her own path and growing into her own talents that she finally allowed Kiba to tattoo the lionesses she designed onto her shoulders.

Life was good now. Life was peaceful and all Hinata strove for in her life was to find peace within herself and around her, considering how tumultuous her upbringing had been.

Life did not need her putting the moves on a guy she'd been checking out from afar for weeks now who in all likelihood forgot she existed. She did not need the backlash of embarrassment and awkwardness that was sure to ensue.

There were signs. And maybe she was reading them correctly and choosing to convince herself otherwise. But as she closed her sketchbook and drew her proverbial blinders over her eyes, she thought that playing with fire once was more than enough.

* * *

**AN:** Bloody hell this is a little all over the place and I apologize for that. How the heck do people write out their stories as wonderfully as they do? This feels a bit like a mess. But anyway, saw a prompt/headcanon sent to narootos by uzumakihimawari on Tumblr that I couldn't help but be swept up in so here we are. I also took a few liberties with the headcanon. There will be a part two coming up as well from Naruto's POV.

Daffidols: rebirth, new beginnings  
Gardenia: I love you in secret, purity, transport of joy  
Yellow chrysanthemum: secret admirer  
Pansy: loving thoughts  
Sweetpea: shyness  
Ranunculus: radiant with charm, you are attractive


	4. A Flower For Your Thoughts (pt 2)

**(CONTD)** "But imagine a new flower shop right next to where Hinata works and she doesn't think much of it until one day it starts getting filled with the prettiest sunflowers she's seen and she HAS to know where they came from, so she starts talking to the cute flower boy and finds out they're the only flowers he can grow perfectly for some reason and she buys a bouquet every week or so until one day she finds the biggest floral arrangement and a love letter with the most awful handwriting ever" au

* * *

Naruto didn't hear her come in the first time around. To be fair, it was raining and he was in the back trying to sort through some inventory that Konohamaru mislabeled before he even realized that there was actually someone in the store. He was a little surprised, since the shop was still a bit of a mess and as this was his first time running a business, everything was a little all over the place.

He couldn't find a clear enough spot to put the large flowerpots in his arms down so he hurried to clear a shelf with his elbows haphazardly nudging clippers and gloves over. The moment he was able to put the flowerpots down, he gave his cheeks a quick swipe with his forearms in an attempt to wipe away any dirt before greeting his customer.

He was about to barge out the door, his mouth already halfway open in a boisterous greeting when he saw her through the circle window set in the door. She was stunning, with her pale cheeks flushed from the cold outside and her indigo hair sleek with rainwater. Her eyes were such a startlingly light shade of lavender that Naruto rubbed the window to be sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. He watched as she rolled her damp sleeves up and was struck by how he drawn he was to her slender arms. The rain turned her semi-sheer sleeves transparent in some areas and he could make out some sort of swirling pattern on her upper arms but he couldn't tell if that was a pattern on her clothes.

She moved around the shop like one would move in a gallery at the museum, paying quiet attention to clusters of flowers and taking her time to examine even the silly frog watering can he accidentally left out. A small smile would tug at her lips as she bent down to view some tulips and Naruto thought he'd never seen anyone look so peaceful or at home among the flowers.

He should get out there, introduce himself, show her around. He wasn't being a very proactive shop owner but he couldn't bring himself to disturb her. The way she looked at the flowers and walked between the tables seemed rather intimate and private somehow.

When Naruto saw her pick some daffodils from the display, he gave himself a quick pinch on his arm and let out a quiet yelp when he twisted a little too hard. Now was not the time to be ogling at his one and only customer.

Taking a deep breath, he swung the door open and walked forth to greet her. A smile rose almost unconsciously to his face as he saw her beautiful eyes turn to him. The cheery yellow of the daffodils complimented her indigo hair and echoed her serenity beautifully and Naruto privately thought she suited bright colours well.

"Found everything ok, miss?" Naruto asked her in what he hoped was a confident manner. It would be just his luck to have his voice crack or sound like a grade school boy with his first crush. His breath caught his throat as she gave him a smile and a nod of affirmation. She was even prettier when she smiled.

As he rummaged through the till for her change, he racked his brain for something to say to her. Anything! Say anything! Talk about the freaking weather for goodness' sake if that what was all he got.

He glanced at her as he fumbled around and his gaze was drawn to her arms once more. The patterns he noticed before were a little clearer, but their clarity and visibility changed as her sleeves shifted. It was like trying to look at something through rippling water. They didn't quite move like they were a pattern on her clothes.

Naruto was about to ask her about it when a text notification from her phone rang through the air. He almost wilted at the missed opportunity as she turned her attention to her phone.

"I'm sorry, I best get going," she told him as she accepted the change and picked her flowers up. Maybe he imagined it but he thought she seemed a touch reluctant to leave. He mentally shook that thought away and tried not to look too disappointed.

"No worries! Have a wonderful day, miss." Naruto couldn't help but give a mischievous wink as he held the door open for her. His gaze didn't leave her figure as she crossed the street and entered the tattoo studio across the street. He watched her talk to someone and tried to guess if she was a customer or if she worked there. He hoped she worked there. His heart lifted and a grin lit up his face at the thought.

As Naruto turned around to continue sorting out the mess in the back, his eye caught the sight of an empty to-go cup sitting by the daffodils. Picking it up, he noted the fragrant aroma of green tea and the name 'Hinata' scrawled on the side.

That was how Konohamaru found him a half hour later, the cup in his hand and a dopey smile stretched across his face.

"Jeez boss! Did leaving the ambrosia for you to sort out get to you?"

xXx

She definitely worked across the street. He saw her there every morning when he went to open his shop. He kept meaning to go say hi to her, get to know his neighbourhood so to speak but business positively boomed within the first week.

The bells over the door jingled merrily as someone came in and Naruto cursed under his breath, stuck yet again in the back room.

"Hang on!" he yelled. He'd search for the new fertilizer later. He walked out of the room brushing his hands against his apron and stopped in surprise.

"Dad!"

The man in question looked up from examining the ranunculus on display. With bright blue eyes, gold hair the same shade of Naruto's, and blessed with genes that allowed only faint laugh lines around his mouth and eyes to signify age, it wasn't a wonder Minato was more often mistaken to be Naruto's brother than father.

"Ah, Naruto. It looks like you've been busy," Minato commented, his eyes surveying the state of slight chaos the flower shop was in.

"Yeah, it's been a little crazy," Naruto chuckled, rubbing his hand against his neck. "Did you and Mom have anything to do with that?"

"Is that a question I even need to answer?" Minato laughed. "You know your mom. She had posters ready to put up the moment you signed the lease on this place. The bakery is papered and I'm pretty sure she gives a flyer to everyone who buys even a just a cookie. She also wants to know if you're coming back home this weekend for a visit?"

"Jeez, that's so like Mom. I guess at least I know you guys are doing well too if so many people are over

here!" Naruto shook his head in amusement. He wouldn't put it past his mother-either of his parents, really- to bake special cakes and cookies with his name and shop decorated in icing to hand out to people. "And I don't think so, not this weekend. I have a bunch of pansies in the greenhouse I want to pot and bring here to display."

Minato raised an eyebrow before his gaze shifted from his son to the ranunculus. "How long have these been here then? They look very fresh."

"Only since the middle of last week," Naruto admitted sheepishly. He felt a little nervous, watching his dad consider the colourful, layered, paper-thin petals of the flowers. He really wasn't expecting anyone to get it. In a way, he kind of liked that he was the only one who got what message the flowers he chose to display meant.

"So who's the lucky lady? Or fellow?" Minato turned back to his son with a deceptively disarming smile.

Naruto knew that smile. It was always the one he needed to watch out for, growing up. Too often he'd see the smile and before he knew it, he was the one doing the chores in the house and grudgingly waking up at 5am to help start baking bread. Kushina's smiles were always much more direct which meant they were easier to see coming, but there was absolutely no denying her anything when she demanded something to be done.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Naruto declared before spinning around and heading towards the back again. Minato followed easily, chuckling under his breath.

"Your ears are red," Minato pointed out.

"Ranunculus are popular flowers! Is it really so weird I'd sell them? Especially for spring?" Naruto defended as he resumed his search for the fertilizer. He hoped the noise of pots being moved over and gardening tools clanging about would shield him from his father's questioning.

"I know I taught you flowers better than that." Minato started organizing some of the mess that Naruto was creating. As he meticulously stacked pots in order of size, he continued, "If it were just the ranunculus I wouldn't have said anything. But pansies also, less than a month later? Either you have so much free time to keep switching things up, which means Kushina and I need to up our game, or..."

Naruto sighed as he stilled his search momentarily. There was no chance passing anything by his dad.

"She... She works across the street," Naruto finally mumbled. His hands continued moving things about but his mind was clearly elsewhere as he passed Minato a shovel instead of a pot to sort. "She came in here in the first week actually. I didn't get a chance to really talk to her, but I know her name's Hinata."

"Across the street you say? At the tattoo parlour?" Minato queried as he continued organizing. "She wouldn't happen to be the one with long blue hair and lavender eyes?"

"Yeah! Why? Do you know her?" Naruto jerked his head up to look beseechingly at his dad.

"She comes by the bakery every once in a while. Always gets a cinnamon roll, if I recall correctly," Minato mused, his head tilted in thought. "Very sweet, always asks Kushina and me how we're doing. She looks like she has some intricate tattoos on her arms but I can never tell with those sleeves she wears."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too when I first saw her," Naruto jumped on the topic. "I was going to ask her about them but she had to go."

"Have you talked with her since then?" Minato asked. He moved the pots to a table by the wall. He sighed and shook his head at clutter. "You know you should really organize this place."

"Konohamaru's helping me out, but we find everything ok," Naruto shrugged, unconcerned. "And ah... no, I haven't exactly. I've been so busy here. Ok, it's just I never really know what to say to her when I see her in the mornings! She ducks in the tattoo studio so quickly and her coworkers always come soon after so I don't really have much of a chance to catch her."

"Is that why the flowers?" Minato raised a brow at him, referring to the ranunculus.

"She sits at the front desk sometimes," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck again in embarrassment. At the very least, if he had to choose discussing his love life (or lack thereof) between his parents, Minato was definitely the safer choice. Kushina would probably have been in the studio and searching out Hinata to drag over to the flower shop at that point. "And well... I thought at the very least the flowers could give her something cheerful to look at."

"Cheerful, eh?" Minato chuckled. "Oh boy. I didn't expect you to be more like me when it came to girls. Just don't get to the point where you have to do something drastic to get her attention like I did for your mom."

"Yeah, I'm hoping it doesn't get to the point of needing to save her from a burning building too."

xXx

Through the next couple weeks, Naruto changed displays, sold flowers, and ran the shop. He kind of hoped that any of the flowers he chose to arrange in the front would draw Hinata to them but she never did come by. What she did do, from what he observed, was sit at the front a lot with a sketchbook and a mug of tea. Sometimes he thought he'd catch her eye and would always beam brightly at her hoping to get a smile back. Sometimes she gave them, sometimes not, but she would glance down at her sketchbook and he'd always sigh because of course, she was probably really only looking at the flowers and not him.

He was in too deep. Whenever she was in sight in the studio's window, his eyes were immediately drawn to her and he could never look away until she was gone from his sight. He didn't want to miss watching her laugh with her coworkers, or blush when she sketched, or gesture with her hands when she talked with clients. He loved watching her move gracefully in her space.

It reminded him when she was in the shop during that first week where she walked around the flowers like she was in a museum.

For heaven's sake, he was writing bad poetry and half-thought out love letters to her in his free time, imagining her soft lavender eyes and pretty smile and graceful arms.

He'd been called out numerous times by Konohamaru and even a couple customers for 'mooning after the tattoo girl'. Konohamaru always snickered at Naruto, "Man boss, you guys aren't even together and you're whooped!"

Naruto really tried not to let his focus wander, especially when there were people he needed to pay attention to in his shop but it was like he had a sensor. The moment Hinata was in his line of sight, he couldn't help but be drawn to her.

"So Konohamaru told me something very interesting last time I was here," Ino drawled. She came periodically to buy flowers but sometimes she came also just to chat with Naruto when he was working. Sai's painting studio was close by to make the visit convenient, which Naruto thought was both a curse and blessing. A dear friend Ino was, but too often she came over to complain or gush about her relationship with the enigmatic artist which Naruto could only handle so much of.

"Yeah? What amazing pearl of wisdom did he drop on you?" Naruto joked as he leaned over the counter where the till was. His hands nudged accounting books aside in an attempt to hide a love letter he scribbled down from Ino's sharp eyes.

"Well, it would appear you are in love with Hinata!" Ino declared rather dramatically. Her light blue eyes positively gleamed with glee at this tidbit.

"Ino!" Naruto cried. "Jeez, if you're any louder she could hear you herself across the street."

"Ah ha! No denial there!" Ino crowed triumphantly. "So? When are you going to ask her out?"

"Uh, I'm working up to it." Which wasn't really a lie per se... It just seemed to be taking him an awfully long time to get around to actually doing it but the thought was always in the back of his mind. And front, as Konohamaru was always so kind to point out.

"You're hopeless," Ino rolled her eyes. She absentmindedly swept her hands across the counter as she spoke and her fingers of course found the aforementioned letter Naruto tried to hide. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Hey, give that back!" Naruto swiped at the paper in Ino's grasp but he knew better. Once Ino got a hold of it, there was no way she was letting go. Naruto privately thought he needed to find female friends who weren't always so pushy. On the heels of that came the thought, _I bet Hinata's really kind_.

He was so far gone.

Naruto's neck burned in embarrassment as Ino read his letter. She chuckled as she finished, raising her blue eyes to meet his.

"You have got it bad. Like real bad. Also your handwriting is absolutely atrocious."

"Yes, you really don't need to tell me twice," Naruto groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "I actually can't stop thinking about her or watching her, Ino. My mom's already asked when she's coming over for dinner."

"Kushina is amazing," Ino snickered, not at all sympathetic to Naruto's plight. "I'm heading to Studio Eight about now actually. Hinata's giving me a tattoo."

"Yeah?" Naruto looked up at her, his expression torn between hopeful and suspicious. "What, are you going to tell her about me or something?"

"Something tells me I won't have to," Ino replied cheekily, examining her nails in apparent nonchalance. "Although now that I mention it, I really should go. I'm surprised Hinata hasn't been back here actually, her specialty is tattooing and drawing flowers. Though knowing Hinata, the fact that she hasn't been here actually says a lot."

"That she hates me for some reason?" was the only conclusion Naruto could come up with.

"You idiot," Ino rolled her eyes. "She's pretty reserved. She's probably a little intimidated by you."

"What! What can I do to make myself less intimidating?"

"Beats me, since you're really just a dork," Ino shrugged off his indignant exclamation of protest. As she headed to the door, she threw back one last comment at him: "She loves sunflowers though."

Well, that Naruto had in abundance. His greenhouse was positively bursting with sunflowers so bright and big he wondered half-seriously if they were mutants. He had quite a green thumb- it was the whole reason he started the flower shop after all- but the success of his sunflowers was a little baffling.

Maybe it was a sign.

xXx

Needless to say, the following week had him changing his display yet again.

Bright and very early in the morning, early enough to remind him of days where he baked bread with his parents at dawn, he gathered all the sunflowers he prepared the night before from the greenhouse to his truck. As he moved bouquets and pots around, he noted the best ones and plucked them aside.

He kept glancing at the sunflowers he set aside in the seat next to him as he drove. Their large brown centers framed by brilliantly yellow petals seemed to watch him. He wondered if he imagined they were waiting for him to do something.

The street was absolutely still when he pulled up. He rarely came so early in the morning (sleeping in, whenever possibly, was always the preferable option). Regardless, he took a deep breath of the crisp morning air as he savoured the quiet and the soft early morning light. He gathered the sunflowers in the car seat, unlocked the front door, and entered the darkness of the flower shop.

The brightness of the sunflowers seemed to glow among the dark green mass of the shop and Naruto again wondered what on earth he did for them to grow so beautifully and strongly. As he set the sunflowers on the counter, his eye caught the love letter from where Ino left it the other day. He chuckled and shook his head over his own hopelessness and gathered it up to throw out. It could join the rest of its fellows in the poor overworked trash can. Naruto figured he probably should empty it out too while he was at it before Konohamru found yet another reason to tease him.

A noise across the street immediately caught Naruto's attention. His blue eyes glanced up and his heart stilled for just a heartbeat before it jumped up violently against his rib cage.

There she was, opening up the doors of Studio Eight. Her indigo hair gathered up in a high ponytail shone in the light and Naruto felt his eyes immediately pulled to her arms.

She wasn't wearing one of those blouses with the semi-transparent sleeves for once. Her arms and shoulders were left bare from her tank top, a sweater held in her hand. The patterns he always wondered about were actually tattoos. They looked intricate and beautiful but she was too far away for him to make them out properly. Naruto didn't even realize he was already moving, the note still clutched in his hand. He automatically reached up and swept the sunflowers up before sweeping out of the shop and before he could even think of what he was doing, he was suddenly standing there right in front of her.

Hinata looked up at him and his breath caught as her beautiful eyes softened in greeting at him.

Naruto couldn't think. His brain was blank and he was standing in front of the girl with the tattoos that he was hopelessly in love with just a bunch of sunflowers and a note in his hands…

"These are for you," Naruto managed after a moment, thrusting the sunflowers out with the note. Hinata looked surprised but she took them delicately all the same. Naruto couldn't help but hungrily trace her tattoos with his eyes, taking note of the intricate swirls of flowers running down her biceps and the pair of lionesses curled around her small shoulders. His fingers twitched, wanting to trace her arms and the story inked out on her skin. He felt a fierce ache to touch her.

"Thank you very much," she smiled at him. She didn't read the note immediately and he was torn between relief and dismay. Silence fell between them and Naruto wracked his brain for something to say. His eyes fell on the note in her hand and he felt himself chickening out. Anything worth her hearing was already written there. He hooked up a smile at her before spinning around and heading back towards the flower shop.

Argh! Of all the scenarios he imagined asking her out or telling her he loved her or heck, even just talking to her, he never imagined the awkwardness and his utter ineptness that actually happened.

"Oh boy Dad, you sure are wrong. I think I definitely take after Mom in this kind of thing," Naruto muttered to himself under his breath as he closed the door behind him. He closed his eyes and he beat his head gently against the glass behind him, sighing into the quiet darkness of his shop.

Just as he was wondering whether or not he should head back out there and redeem himself or retreat to the back room to pace, a knock against the door interrupted his thoughts. He turned around and there Hinata stood, her arms full of the sunflowers he'd just given her. He couldn't take his eyes off of her as he opened the door. The bright glow of the sunflowers framed her flushed cheeks and with the tattoos of vines, leaves, and flowers twining up her arms, Naruto could almost believe she was a part of the sunflowers herself.

"The note," she burst out breathlessly, stepping close to him. The sunflowers swayed in her arms and brushed up against his chest. "Is it from you?"

A hundred replies jumped to his mind. He wanted to tell her that of course it was from him, that he loved her smile, that he couldn't help but always watch her, that he had wanted to talk to her and get to know her from the first time she came into his shop, that she was so much better in reality than in his daydreams.

The thoughts swirled up together to form one answer.

"Yes," Naruto admitted. His heart drummed in his chest so loudly he was sure she could hear it. "I mean every word I wrote."

A brilliant smile grew on her face and he was struck dumb as she tiptoed up and pressed a feathery soft kiss against his tanned cheek. He desperately hoped this was not all just a dream.

"Thank you," she murmured shyly, her beautiful lavender eyes warm and soft and full of an emotion that had Naruto burning up with hope. "Do you… do you want to come over for dinner, after we both finish work? I can cook us something."

Naruto didn't even hesitate. He swept her up in his arms, relishing her small eep of surprise and her smaller frame pressed against his. Sunflower petals tickled their faces as he spun them around and he couldn't help but let out a delighted laugh rise up from deep in his belly, warming his heart.

"I would love for nothing better."

Sunflowers, he decided as he sneaked in a kiss of his own on her flushed cheeks, were definitely his favourite flower.

* * *

**AN:** Well, that really ran away from me a bit. Sorry for the wait, I took a break because I became very dissatisfied with my writing. I had a harder time getting this to where I wanted it to go and I think my main issue was I tried to cram a lot of what I imagined for this universe into essentially two chapters. I really loved the world I built for them here though and hope I did it enough justice. Feedback, as always, is wonderful!

**Bonus:**

"Hey Hinata, could you give me a tattoo?"

They were cuddled up on the couch watching movie credits start to roll onto the screen. Surprised, Hinata turned her face up towards him. His bright blue eyes shone at her mischievously.

"Of what?"

A slow grin unfurled on his face and he leaned down to whisper in her ear. His answer startled a laugh out of her.

"Naruto! How can you be sure you want that? You know you can't undo tattoos right?"

Naruto chuckled, low and deep, and skimmed his hands along the curves of her body, feeling her heartbeat speed up and watching the heat of her blush spread from her cheeks down to her chest. His fingers traced the tattoos and scars on her arms and shoulders that he knew now by heart.

"I'll make it worth your while."

xXx

The next time the two had dinner at the Uzumaki residence, Kushina took one look at the whiskers on Naruto's face and laughed long and loud before declaring he was lucky he had such a talented girlfriend, to make even whiskers look good on him. Minato shook his head, a smile on his face. And despite herself, Hinata found she loved the whiskers on Naruto and took every opportunity to trace them with her fingers or lips.

"Hey," he chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and holding her close. She twined an arm around around his torso, resting her head against his chest and listening to his heartbeat. It was hard to tell where one ended and the other started. "We match."


	5. With a Dash of Sugar

'I write a bad pick up line on your cup every time I'm your barista' AU

* * *

Hinata's standing in line, three people to the cashier, and fidgeting with her bag. She's coaching herself into taking even breaths. She has ten minutes until her work starts and she's definitely going to be late but that's not why she's nervous. Her heart's jumping and her fingers can't stay still because-

"Hey again! Medium green tea latte, as usual?"

Her pulse stops and then starts again rapid fire at his voice. She's standing at the front now looking at the barista who's been taking her order for the past month. He's tall and so gorgeous, with unruly, spiky blonde hair, blue eyes always creased in happiness at her, and a smile she can't help but fall in love with every single time. Naruto, his name tag tells her, but she's never been brave enough to get so personal with him.

She nods in response, a shy smile tucking up around her mouth, and she feels a blush heat her cheeks (an embarrassingly common response whenever she was in his presence) when he grins even wider at her. He rings her up and bustles away to prepare her drink.

Hinata shifts over to the side and waits. She watches him move about the machines and she can just catch his humming as he works the milk frother. He always glances up at her as he pours her drink into a to-go cup and she always averts her gaze, embarrassed to be caught staring.

He hands her the cup, his fingers brushing against hers and says with an easy smile, "Here you go, Hinata. Have a great day!"

Her name, which she told him the very first time she came to this café and he never forgot, rolls off his tongue so nicely and she just wishes she had the gumption to use his name back.

Hinata can't help but smile just as widely back and respond, as always, "Thank you very much, and you too."

There is always a moment, right after she responds, where she takes a deep breath. More words tumble in her mind and catch in her throat and her eyes trace his face, wanting to say more. His blue eyes always seem to wait as he watches her. Butterflies flutter in her stomach, just waiting to be set free-

-but the moment passes and she just exhales instead before smiling at him, cheeks flushing darker as she wishes she could do more, before she heads out.

She contemplates the wisp of steam rising from the lid of the simple white to-go cup with its cardboard sleeve. She sighs again, a little more heavily, before taking a sip as she hurries down the sidewalk to work.

Maybe next time.

xXx

"Did you talk with him this time?"

Hinata just groans in response to her friend and co-worker's query and sinks down in her chair. Tenten clucks and laughs as Hinata buries her head in her arms.

"Aw, chin up, Hinata! I'm sure you can do it one day!" Tenten takes turns teasing and encouraging her reserved friend, knowing not to push too hard. There is a difference between working under pressure- which Hinata excels at- and being backed into a corner- which Hinata balks at.

"At least I can smile and say thank you to him," Hinata sighs, sipping her drink. "I could barely look at him in the eye at first."

"If he's as cute as you say, I'm not too surprised." Tenten spins around in her chair, completely forgoing work in favour of gossiping. "By the way, I think Shino sent out a memo that Kurenai's going to be coming by tomorrow. Which means you should probably clean your desk up." The brunette shoots a pointed look at the coffee cups neatly stacked around Hinata's workspace.

"They could be works of art, almost," Hinata muses as she considers the mass of coffee cups.

"At least they don't smell gross like espresso cups." Tenten wrinkles her nose at the thought. "You should get into the habit of throwing them out when you're done though. I know you'd rather keep working but not even taking a break to throw out your cup just means you're totally a workaholic."

"Runs in the family, I suppose," Hinata shrugs. She drains the last of her green tea latte and sets it down on her desk.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean it's healthy," Tenten says wryly. "C'mon, let's get it done. I'll even help you."

"You just don't want to work on your assignment," Hinata laughs, but she accepts her friend's offer anyway.

"You wouldn't either, if it was a statistical report," Tenten groans and rolls her eyes. "Why do I always get stuck with the shitty projects?" She wheels down the hallway, not bothering to get up from her chair, and rolls right on back with the trash bin in tow.

"You'll need to talk to Gai about that. I'm sure he could take it up with Tsunade and find you better things to work on," Hinata suggests. She picks up the cup she just finished and slips the sleeve off, opting to recycle what she could.

"Yeah, you're right. Next time I meet with him I'll bring it up." Tenten hoists the bin up on her lap and grins cheekily at her friend. "Five points if you get it in. If you hit me and get coffee on me, you're buying lunch next." Hinata rolls her eyes but gamely tosses the cup. It lands solidly in the bin and she nods in satisfaction.

They spend the next hour cleaning up Hinata's desk, taking turns dunking coffee cups into the bin. Tenten never misses but Hinata does a few times and it turns into a game. For every miss came a dare.

Leave a heart sticky note on Lee's door. Switch out the instant coffee in the kitchen with hot chocolate mix. Finish her statistics report.

The last one Hinata just laughs and chucks a cardboard sleeve at Tenten's face. Tenten pouts as it bounces off her head and onto the ground.

"Alright, alright, I'll do it Ms. Killjoy," she lets out a dramatic and exaggerated sigh. "I'm going to go empty this. I'll bring the recycling bin over."

"Still avoiding the work, I see," Hinata calls her friend out and only laughs freely in response to the simper Tenten gives back. Shaking her head, Hinata bends over and picks up the fallen sleeve.

She freezes. Her lavender eyes catch a flash of handwriting on the inside of the sleeve. She doesn't even know she's holding her breath until she gently tears the sleeve in half and turns it over her in her hands.

_Life without you would be like a broken pencil… pointless._

It was undoubtedly _his_ handwriting, all scrawls and bordering on the edge of intelligible. Hinata reads the sentence over and over again and can't help the giggle that bubbles up at the cheesy pick-up line. In fact, she can't stop her laughter and that is how Tenten finds her as she returns with the promised recycling bin.

"Ok, I know basketball coffee cup is pretty fun but…" the brunette just lifts an eyebrow at Hinata, clearly waiting for an explanation. "Has work finally cracked you?"

Hinata can only shake her head, still giggling madly. Tenten spots the sleeve in her hand and gently draws it out, both eyebrows raising as she reads the message on the back.

"Is this guy for real?" Tenten is in disbelief. "Is this the only one he wrote you?"

Hinata controls her laughter and sits up with purpose. Was it the only message? She grabs a random sleeve in the pile on her desk and neatly tears it down the perforated edge. Sure enough, his writing beams back at her with the message _Are you a keyboard, because you're my type._

She can't stop now, doesn't want to stop, and works through the pile faster than she's worked on a project. She doesn't even notice Tenten sit back, just watching her literally tear through the pile.

In the end, flattened coffee sleeves paper her desk, all covered in his handwriting bearing a different pick-up line. They are all cheesy and sappy but they are very sweet and so inherently _Naruto_ that Hinata doesn't think she wants to recycle them anymore. Actually, she doesn't think she _can_.

How could she throw away this one, that says _If you were a flower, I would pick you_ or this other one that cheekily tells her _If I were a stop light, I'd turn red every time you passed by, just so I could stare at you a bit longer_? The sleeve from just that morning boldly says _You must be a ninja, because you snuck into my heart_.

"So," Tenten begins. Hinata turns and a devious smile is on her friend's face and she braces herself for whatever Tenten is going to say. "I can tell you're not going to toss these out. And who could blame you? I don't think I've ever seen anything so nauseatingly cute before."

"So?" Hinata prompts her hesitatingly when she pauses.

"Which means, I have one last dare for you."

xXx

Hinata's standing in line, three people to the cashier, and practically wringing her long straight hair into kinks. She's reminding herself to breathe. She has a half hour until her work starts. She has plenty of time, just as she plans, and that is why she's nervous. Her heart's skipping and her fingers can't stay still because-

"Good morning Hinata! Your usual?"

The roar in her mind blanks as she steps up to the front of the line and looks into his eyes. He's smiling in that way that makes her knees traitorously want to shake and she doesn't know how anyone can fill out a standard café uniform so well. She opens her mouth, preparing herself to go through with the dare-

"-Yes. Thank you, Naruto."

And chickens out.

Well, not entirely. He reacts upon hearing his name and his eyes jerk up from rummaging the till to meet hers and she's pretty sure her face is absolutely on fire with how he's looking at her. She's torn between wanting to sink under the floor and disappearing forever and feeling empowered by his speechless reaction.

After a moment, he gives her a hearty wink and the most gorgeous smile she's seen yet (which was really saying something, since all of his smiles were wonderful really) as he hands her the change and the lingering brush of his hand she is pretty sure this time is definitely deliberate.

Hinata has to tell herself to breathe again as Naruto moves away and begins to prepare her drink. She shifts to the side, body automatically following routine, and watches him.

She doesn't look away from him as he stirs her drink in the pitcher, when glances at her more than usual as he froths the mix, when he flashes her smiles as he pours her drink into the to-go cup, and most definitely not as he pulls a cardboard sleeve from the shelf.

Naruto gives her the cheekiest grin, his own tanned cheeks flushing slightly before he bends down to write something on the inside of the sleeve. He slips it onto the cup and holds it out for her.

Hinata's hand stills on his as she reaches out to take it. She can't look away from his gaze and his blue eyes just seem to wait and watch her.

She gathers up her courage, can practically hear Tenten's voice egging her on, focuses on just those amazingly vibrant and clear eyes creased in happiness, and says to him, "No wonder the sky is grey today. All the blue is in your eyes."

Naruto looks thrown for a moment, like he can't quite believe she said that but then his eyes completely light up and he leans forward closer to her making her heart beat triple time before replying, "You're so beautiful, you just made me forget my pick-up line."

Hinata can't help the long laugh that escapes her. It sounds even cheesier and better when he says it out loud.

"Well, if you give me your number that could make up for it," she says and her voice grows quieter as she speaks, not quite believing her boldness. She's usually never so forward but his hand is warm beneath hers and his countenance is just so inviting and accepting that she never feels anything but relaxed and just a bit daring with him.

"Like a fair trade?" he cracks back and chuckles. "I'm already one step ahead of you." His free hand taps the cardboard sleeve and she spots the slight blush that steals across his cheeks. He's smiling so goofily at her and all Hinata wants to do at that moment is to lean up and kiss him.

She doesn't, but she licks her lips and Naruto's eyes dart down to catch her action. They darken ever so slightly and Hinata decides that she definitely feels empowered.

She's at a loss for what to say now though because her romantic experience was limited, to say the least, and she didn't expect to get this far with Naruto already. She's out of her element and stranded in the unknown.

But she's not alone and the company is all she could've dreamed of.

"If you're free this weekend, I'd love to get together with you." Naruto finally breaks the tension between them and it's like he hit the play button. Hinata takes the coffee cup and draws it close to her chest, cradling it between her hands. The café is empty except for them and the quiet hum of music fills the air around them instead.

"Shall we get coffee?" Hinata can't help but joke. Her cheeks are going to hurt later with how much she's smiling but that is a problem she is all too happy to have.

"If coffee is our date then we've been going out for the past month," Naruto chuckles. His smile tugs up higher on one side and the lopsided grin and his darkened blue eyes makes her tingle. She feels bashful and brave all at once. "I think that means we're overdue for our first kiss."

She doesn't even hesitate this time and she just tiptoes up and catches that smile she loves so much against her lips. His lips are warm and soft and she can't figure out where her bravery is coming from but she doesn't question it because she is in bliss.

He kisses back and it's sweet and full of promise. Hinata draws back reluctantly and she's sure they are sharing the same blush.

"So I guess I'll be seeing you this weekend?" Naruto says, a bit dazed and Hinata feels exactly as he sounds.

"You'll see me tomorrow," she laughs, holding up her coffee cup.

"Well then." He unfurls a smile at her and she just knows right then and there that she is going to get no work done today and likely all the days leading up to the weekend. She feels no anxiety over it, but only the hum of anticipation. "Coffee's on me."

* * *

**AN: **I saw this prompt and honestly how could I pass it up? The research I did for this was hands down the most fun I've had for any fic. Also trying something a little different in terms of writing style. Let me know what you think! Enjoy!


	6. Dear Friend

Letter found in an old notebook AU

* * *

"Hinata, hey!" Naruto exclaimed as he opened the door of his apartment. "Thanks so much for coming over to help me unpack."

"Of course," Hinata smiled, stepping in. Boxes were strewn all around the floor of the empty apartment, stacking up around the lone couch in one of the rooms and the table in the small kitchen. Bright, heady sunlight streamed through the tall open windows that took up the majority of the wall the couch was facing and a fan hummed in the background, fighting the humidity of the summer day.

"I know I can always count on you to pull through!" Naruto chuckled as he headed towards the small kitchen. "Sakura and Sai keep bailing on me for some reason."

"I know Sakura's been working for a promotion at the hospital," Hinata mused thoughtfully. "And Sai is preparing some new pieces for a gallery opening he has coming up." She followed him into the kitchen, tying up her long indigo hair in a messy bun.

A flush crept up her neck as she recalled the previous day when he phoned Sakura asking for her help. Hinata already confirmed to him that she was able to come over and was in the middle of telling Sakura about it when her phone went off. The pink-haired doctor winked generously at Hinata as she told Naruto over the phone that gee, she couldn't make it sorry but he had Hinata coming and Hinata was _so_ much more reliable and awesome that he really didn't need her.

Sakura's subtlety in the art of matchmaking left a lot to be desired, but Hinata nonetheless appreciated her friend's efforts in helping her catch the guy she'd be in love with for years. Subtlety flew right over Naruto's head anyway.

"Isn't that just his excuse to paint Ino naked?" Naruto snickered. He gestured towards the mugs sitting on the counter and Hinata nodded. He grabbed two of them and filled them up with cold water before handing one to her.

"That was just one time," Hinata pointed out. Her face grew hot as she recalled how they barged into Sai's painting studio, intent on surprising him on his birthday only to find him… otherwise engaged.

"They're never living that one down," Naruto laughed, shaking his head. He wiped some sweat off his forehead and groaned. "Man, why did I have to move on the hottest weekend of the summer?"

"Well.. At least it's not much you have to unpack?"

"Hinata, you're too nice," Naruto grinned at her, the faint whisker marks on his cheek stretching up mischievously. Hinata fell in love with him every single time all over again whenever he smiled and she wondered if he could read her heart from the blushes that bloomed on her cheeks. "I have a shit ton of stuff."

His blunt admission startled a laugh out of her and his smile grew bigger at her amusement.

"Good thing you have me to help then," Hinata chuckled. She set her cup down and gestured to the boxes that surrounded them. "Where do you want to start?"

"Ehhh…" Naruto sighed but set his cup down as well. "I guess the kitchen, since we're already here?"

"It won't be that bad," Hinata teased, grabbing the box closest to her and unfolding the lid. She dug in and withdrew a pot and a spatula. "I'll even make dinner, if it takes us that long to unpack."

"Really?" A hopeful, almost childish gleam of glee shone in Naruto's blue eyes. "Would you cook your miso ramen?"

"You still want ramen in this heat?" Hinata couldn't help but laugh at his predictability and excitement. He nodded vigorously. "Alright, ramen it is then."

"What would I do without you, Hinata?" Naruto cheered before leaning over and giving her a quick hug. He got right to work then, whistling as he hoisted a box onto the table and tore it open.

Hinata smiled fondly and got back to unpacking her box. Naruto had always been a very physically affectionate person and it took her months of practice when she met him in their first year of college together to be able to hug him back without her face burning so red as to cause concern. All of their mutual friends would tease her about it, Sakura and Kiba especially, but she eventually progressed to the point where the only thing she had to worry about now was her hammering heart.

She always thought that surely he could feel the beat of her racing heart whenever his arms came around to hold her but he never seemed to give an indication that he did.

"He's denser than a rock," was Sakura's favourite way of describing him.

True, he was a little (ok, a lot) oblivious to the depth of her feelings for him but his friendship was something she dearly treasured. No one was able to cheer her up or make her laugh as much and easily as him. So many times when she waved goodbye to him after hanging out, her cheeks would hurt and her belly would ache from smiling and laughing so much.

Hinata always thought his capacity to love others was inspiring, especially considering the rough and lonely childhood he had, being moved from foster home to foster home after his parents died in a fire when he was just a baby. He never had a permanent enough family to call home but he seemed to draw a sort of strength from his hardships in opening his heart more to others.

Naruto was something of a comfort to her. There was no doubt that her family loved her, in their way, but propriety and respect dictated their interactions. Bows of the head replaced hugs, an offer of tea was the equivalent of having a heart to heart, and a smile was like a celebration.

Which was to say there was nothing wrong with growing up in that kind of environment, but Hinata never realized how much she tucked within herself, how much she'd been holding back until she met Naruto. Naruto with all his boisterous charm and easy smiles and open hugs, Naruto who shone bright from the moment she saw him with his spiky blonde hair and stunning blue eyes.

He was like the sun and she found herself positively unfurling.

Hinata always felt incredibly lucky to have become such good friends with him over the years, ever since that first computer programming course they took together in first year. She struggled so much with understanding the logic of C++ that Iruka, their professor, suggested that Naruto tutor her, being the best student in the class. They started meeting for lessons and before she knew it, her friends became friends with his friends and soon they were all hanging out together outside of the classroom. Hinata never thought she would find so many people who cared for her so much, would find so many voices to fill the silence in her mind but she learned that loneliness was a choice when she was with them and especially when she was with Naruto.

Falling in love with him was never a surprise and most certainly never a burden. Loving him was the most freeing and exhilarating thing she ever chose to do.

They moved in synchronization around the kitchen, stacking plates and bowls in the cupboard and hanging pots and pans on a hook rack installed on the wall. Naruto teased her when she couldn't reach the highest hook to hang the wok from and easily lifted her up with his strong hands. Hinata laughed and laughed as he hit a ticklish spot and before either of them knew it they were chasing each other around the kitchen table, trying to simultaneously outrun the other while sneaking in a tickle attack.

"Ok, ok, I give!" Naruto gasped in laughter before tripping over an empty box and falling to the floor, scattering packing peanuts everywhere like snow. He clutched his side, still trying to catch his breath from laughing. "You are ruthless!"

"When you grow up with a sister, you learn to fight to your advantage," Hinata panted as she braced herself against the table, a huge smile on her face. She shucked her sweater off and fanned herself with her hands, feeling significantly warmer from their run-around in the humid air of his apartment. Still grinning, she offered a hand to Naruto. "Truce?"

"Truce," Naruto agreed as he accepted her offer. He bounced up and pulled her into a tight hug before she could object, rubbing his cheek on the top of her head and ruining her bun. "Gotcha!"

"Naruto!" Hinata laughed and she halfheartedly tried to push him away but instead found herself returning the embrace. His heart hammered against hers and she loved that, for just this moment, their pulses raced in tandem with each other.

He rubbed his chin along her head once more before letting go, his hands slowly sliding down her bare arms and leaving goosebumps in their wake. Despite the heat, Hinata felt just a little colder when he stepped back, already missing him even though he was standing only a few feet away.

"Ok, I think I'm ready to move on from the kitchen," Naruto announced, plucking a few styrofoam peanuts free from his hair. Shaking her head, Hinata gestured him to bend down. He obliged, his tall frame folding over to accommodate her and she took her time running her hands through his soft, thick hair and removing the styrofoam bits where she found them.

"Want to sort the boxes in the big room with the couch then?" she murmured, distracted by how he hummed as she wove her slender fingers through his hair.

Naruto made a sound which she thought indicated agreement and reluctantly withdrew her hands. He was slow to straighten, his darkened blue eyes coming up to look at her own lavender eyes. Her breath caught and she felt pinned by his gaze.

After a long moment where Hinata felt like she was hovering on the edge of something, Naruto broke the silence.

"You go ahead and start on those boxes without me. I think I'll tackle the bathroom."

Hinata nodded, her cheeks pinking as his eyes never left hers and she valiantly tried to reign in her thundering heart before answering, "Alright, that sounds like a plan."

Naruto grinned boyishly and Hinata's lips tugged up automatically in response. He slung an arm around her shoulders, his fingers splayed across the soft skin of her upper arms, and squeezed her gently before walking out the kitchen and out of sight.

Hinata sucked in a deep breath and took her time refilling her mug and sipping at the cool water. In another lifetime, maybe she would've been brave enough to lean forward those few extra inches to kiss him, so close to her he was, his breath mingling with hers and his eyes tracing fire across her skin. But that was only fanciful wishing and she tucked her fantasies in the back of her mind before she tackled the boxes in the big room.

She smiled to herself as she heard from down the hall Naruto whistling the same song he'd been whistling earlier. Recognizing the tune, she hummed as she sat down in the middle of a sun patch streaming through the tall, open windows and lighting the wooden oak floor.

"Laugh until we think we'll die, barefoot on a summer night, never could be sweeter than with you..." she quietly sang along as she selected a box and opened it.

Hinata could help but laugh as her fingers drew out battered and disorganized notebooks and binders. Loose sheets of notes and diagrams slipped out and settled on the floor, reflecting brightly in the sun. Picking them up, she noted some of the functions scribbled on a page and flipped the sheets over to look at the dates.

"You still have your notes from CS15?" she called out, her hands gathering all the pages on the floor.

"You never know when you'll need them!" Naruto's voice sailed back. The bang of the shower door and a muttered curse followed before he added, "Besides, it didn't really feel right throwing away all that work."

Hinata dropped the topic but she couldn't help but rifle nostalgically through his notes. Scrawled functions and algorithms reminded her of the first few times she tried to borrow his notes in class only to sheepishly admit that she couldn't understand a word of his handwriting. It wasn't so much that his handwriting was atrocious, but more that Naruto instinctively understood the logistics and applications of coding and didn't feel the need to notate every step of his process.

Well, it did all eventually lead to him tutoring her so Hinata forgave the long, frustrated and sleepless nights where she wrestled with trying to decipher his notes.

Her eyes caught a lined piece of paper sticking out from the pile, the solid block of text standing out among the syntax and numbers of C++. She curiously withdrew it from the notebook it was tucked in and hesitated for a moment before she smoothed it open to read.

.

Dear Friend,

I have no idea who you are or how you got this letter, but I sure hope you're a person who's nice and good at listening. I dunno, Iruka said that things have a way of finding their way to the places and people that need them most. If that's the case, I really hope that you're the kind of person in need of a laugh because that's what I'm best at.

Well, that's not entirely true. Iruka tells me I'm good at a lot of things, would be better at a lot of things if I stopped fooling around and focused more on studying and passing exams and getting a job after college but hey! Life's short, I tell him, and who couldn't use a good laugh?

Because that's what I like to do, Friend: make people smile. And I hope this letter finds you in a happy place in life, or will at least cheer you up if you're having a bad day because I know what it feels like to go through a rough time where no one seems to want to have anything to do with you. It's hard to keep your chin up when no one seems to want to see you smile or be happy.

But Friend. I like to tell you that I would always love to see you smile, always love to hear you laugh, and forever have you be happy.

You're a stranger, but that doesn't mean I don't care.

Anyway, I'd like to tell you to please always feel free to come talk to me if you want or need to because I mean, I love to talk but I'd like to hear the sound of your voice too and listen to what you've got to say, but I'm never sending this letter to anyone so I guess what's the point?

Maybe this is a letter to myself.

Dear Naruto, make up your goddamn mind.

Well whether this is addressed to me, or to you, Friend, I guess the most important thing for me to say is that I believe in you, cheesy as that sounds. But it doesn't make it any less true. Even if you don't trust in yourself or that you'll be happy today or one day, trust me, because I never go back on my word! That's a promise!

I hope to meet you one day, Friend. And maybe we could be happy together.

Yours,

Uzumaki Naruto

.

Hinata's breath hitched as she read the letter again and her vision grew blurry with tears. The letter was so very Naruto in its sincerity and open-hearted address and though he clearly wrote it years and years ago, Hinata couldn't help but feel it was still relevant today. Naruto never held back in showing his care and affection for those he loved and his compassion was one of the things that drew Hinata to him in the first place.

She wondered how lonely he must have been, to understand the pain so well.

The open windowpanes cracked loudly on their hinges and a skein of cold air blew through the room, jerking Hinata's attention away from the letter in her hands. She immediately noted the grey clouds and darkened sky, the sun completely blotted out. In the far distance, she heard the faint ominous rumble of thunder. Humidity still saturated the air but Hinata hurried over to shut the windows.

She puffed as one of the windows stuck and tugged harder, fighting against the wind sweeping relentlessly through the streets outside. A large, warm, tan hand covered her fingers and pulled the window closed.

Suddenly very aware of Naruto's tall and broad frame against her back, Hinata focused instead on the dark thunderclouds outside.

"Oh dear," she whispered as heavy raindrops started coming down. In no time at all, it was absolutely torrential. A deluge, she would've described it as. "And I didn't think to bring an umbrella with me."

"What! You can't walk home in this!" Naruto exclaimed and Hinata hoped her hair covered the flush that rose on her neck from feeling the rumbles across his chest as he spoke. "You can stay over if you want. I know I have extra pillows and blankets here in one of these damn boxes."

"Oh no, I don't want to be a bother," Hinata rushed to excuse herself. Never be an imposition, never take up more room than necessary, was what she learned rather thoroughly over the years.

"You are always welcome here," Naruto said firmly and his words rang so familiarly with the letter still in her hands. "And you are never ever a bother, Hinata. I really like having you around."

Hinata's face lit up with a bright blush and she ducked her head, accepting his offer with a quiet murmur. Had she turned around, she might've seen the matching blush spreading across Naruto's whiskered cheeks as he gazed fondly down at her.

"You can take the couch," Naruto decided. "And I'm not changing my mind about that!"

"I couldn't! You don't even have your bed set up!" Hinata argued, turning to face him. An idea sparked in her mind and with a mischievous smile that she knew she got from Naruto, she said, "I guess you know what that means."

"Huh?" Naruto asked, confused. Something flickered in his eyes, reminding her of that moment in the kitchen but she didn't allow herself to linger over it.

"It's blanket fort time!" Hinata couldn't help but smile hugely when Naruto threw his head back and laughed. "If you want, I could go cook something up for us while you look for where your blankets and pillows are?"

"Perfect," Naruto agreed, still chuckling. He tapped her on the nose and added cheekily, "Don't burn the naruto this time!"

"One time! That was just one time," Hinata shook her head but laughed in defeat. Her arms came up to shrug in defense but she took the tease in good humour.

"What's that you got?" Naruto gestured curiously as his eye caught the sheet of paper held in her hands.

"Oh." Hinata ducked her head down in embarrassment as she was caught red-handed. "Um, I found it in one of your notebooks and I thought it was just one of your notes..." She offered the letter to him.

Naruto took it and his eyes lit up in recognition as he read through his writing.

"Oh man, this was from so long ago!" A smile tugged one side of his mouth up in a lopsided smile. "I actually remember writing this too. I think this was around when I first started tutoring you."

He paused, his blue eyes drifting up from the letter to the quiet girl in front of him, her eyes still not meeting his.

"Hey," Naruto said gently, nudging her arm with a hand. "Do you want to keep this? No one's found this since I wrote it and, I dunno, it feels like it found its way to you. I think you should have it."

Hinata lifted her head, her eyes lighting upon the letter being offered back to her and then shifting up to meet Naruto's open, sincere blue eyes once more. She hesitated before slowly accepting the sheet. She held it in her hands, considering it for a moment before she smiled warmly up at him.

"Thank you, Naruto."

"Just don't burn dinner!" He winked at her and she laughed, warmth curling up in her belly.

She poked him in the shoulder and teased, "I make no promises!" before brushing past him to head towards the kitchen, her steps light and a song coming up to hum through her lips. Naruto grinned at her retreating figure before he sighed and looked at all the boxes surrounding him.

"I really wish I thought to label everything before I moved," he grumbled before he got to work opening all the boxes up. Delicious smells soon weaved enticingly throughout his apartment and Naruto thought he'd never felt warmer or happier hearing the clinks of pots in the kitchen and the sound of Hinata's footsteps falling in time with her humming.

His apartment, with the majority of his things still unpacked and the rooms bare of most furniture and the scent still unfamiliar to him, felt like home.

As he rummaged through box after box, he stacked all the rejected ones up in a wall, nodding in satisfaction as he considered how best to drape the blankets over and across them- if he could ever find them.

He let out a triumphant yell as he finally unearthed the box containing the desired items and wasted no time in throwing his sheets over the boxes and couch and padding the inside with blankets and pillows. After a moment's thought, he dug back into one of the boxes to fish out several flashlights, turning them on in the darkening room. They lit the interior of the blanket fort cozily and Naruto grinned in satisfaction.

"Knock knock," Hinata's soft voice filtered through the blanket and Naruto pulled it aside to let her in. Hinata carefully set the two bowls she was carrying down on a bare patch on the floor and grinned as she looked around. "This is wonderful, Naruto."

"What can I say? I am a blanket fort master," Naruto laughed. He patted the pillow next to him excitedly and Hinata came to sit by his side.

They talked and laughed as they ate, their conversation warming and filling them as much as the ramen did. Soon the empty bowls were discarded outside the fort, to be dealt with and washed at a much later time. Rain lashed against the window in steady staccato and lighting periodically flashed across the dark sky, filling the room momentarily with white light. Thunder grumbled through the night but all was warm and cozy under the comfort of the blankets.

Hinata curled under a blanket, giggling at a story Naruto was telling about work when a yawn interrupted her laughter. Naruto paused in his story and poked at her blanketed form, laughing at the embarrassed flush that covered her face.

"If I was boring you, you just have to say so," he teased.

"No, no! You're never boring Naruto. I'm sorry, I guess I'm more tired from today than I thought," Hinata confessed, but she smiled as she bumped her head against his shoulder like a cat. "You're always fun to listen and talk to."

"Anything to make you smile," Naruto grinned. He hesitated then sneaked an arm around her, drawing her close. Hinata sighed and curled up closer to his side, utterly content.

They were quiet, just enjoying the warmth of each other's presence and listening to the rain and thunder beating outside. Naruto slid down from his position against the bottom of the couch and onto the pillows on the floor, catching a drowsy Hinata and gently lowering her down with him.

He drew a blanket over the both of them, even though Hinata was curled up in one already. He lay on his side facing her, eyes slowly drifting shut as sleep crept up his mind. He was just on the verge of falling asleep when Hinata let out a quiet sigh, peering at him through half-lidded eyes.

"I hope you're happy too, Naruto," Hinata murmured so quietly that it took Naruto a moment to realize that she'd spoken. He recognized the words from his letter and sleepily smiled at her. "I hope you'll be happy in this home you've found for yourself."

Hinata wasn't startled when Naruto reached a hand up to trace her face with his fingers, his blue eyes focused on her. His smile was small but so intimate that she had no doubt that it was meant for her and only her to see. Her breath caught in her throat at the look in his eyes and in that beat she knew, just knew that she wasn't the only one who had fallen.

"Dear friend," he murmured, drawing her close and tucking her head beneath his chin. He breathed in the scent of her hair and felt her heart beat against his and nothing felt more perfect than this very moment. "Home has always been whenever I'm with you."

* * *

**AN:** Damn I can't seem to write anything short these days. Also considering renaming this collection to 'Drowning in Fluff'. Just kidding. Sort of. Not really happy with this but it's been staring at me for too long on my computer for me to do anything more with it. Hope you enjoy it anyway!


	7. Into the Quiet Night

"We're on the bus and I'm really not trying to take up your space I'm sorry I just have rlly rlly long legs" AU

* * *

Naruto sprints across the pavement, his enormous backpack bouncing on his back so hard he's sure he'll probably have bruises later, but all he can think of at the moment is how he should've gotten up when his alarm first rang because his bus is leaving _now_ and if he misses this one, it'll be another twelve hours before the next. His shadow races ahead of him, lengthening out as the sun slowly sets, urging him to pick up the pace.

The doors start to close and he bursts forth in a rush of adrenaline, practically flying the last few meters and he's moving so fast he actually slams into the doors in his rush to stop in time.

The bus driver opens the doors immediately, concern written all over his wrinkled features. "You ok, son?"

"Fine, super fine!" Naruto assures him though his nose throbs like crazy. He considers it a price worth paying though for making it on time.

"Hop on," the bus driver beckons and Naruto doesn't need to be told twice. He jumps up the steps and grins broadly in thanks at the driver. "I was wondering if you'd make it before the doors closed."

Naruto smile slackens and he blinks at the bus driver who settles himself cheerfully in the driver's seat, a twinkle in his eye.

"You-you saw me run- but the doors-" Naruto sputters, and the straps of his backpack dig into his back as his shoulders drop in disbelief.

"Better find a seat, we're leaving now," the bus driver tells him, a smile visible under his bushy grey mustache and in the next moment, he starts the engine up and the bus jerks forward in motion.

Naruto gapes for a moment longer then shakes his head and chuckles as he slowly makes his way down the aisle of the full bus. He's been had, but he's always enjoyed a good joke and a fun prank. He probably would've done the same if he were the bus driver.

He passes by children absorbed in their game consoles, teenagers ripping open snacks and swapping music and gossip, parents settling back for naps long overdue, elderly couples doing crossword puzzles and sudoku games together- but not a single free seat. He grips the edges of the seats for balance as he walks down, mumbling apologies as his large and heavy backpack accidentally clip a few people along the way.

He's wondering if he'll have to sit in the middle of the aisle when he reaches the very back of the bus. There is one seat left, right next to a girl his age reading a book. Naruto stops before her and when she looks up at him, his breath catches for just a moment at the sight of her eyes. They are a lavender so light, they are almost white and the sight should've been unsettling, but her expression is so open and sweet that he feels the slightest hint of a blush heat his cheeks. He's never been very smooth around pretty girls.

"Is this seat taken?" he asks, rubbing the back of his neck a little awkwardly.

"Not at all, it's all yours," she smiles back at him shyly, and it's so disarming that he finds himself relaxing and grinning back. He shrugs his backpack off and swings it up to store in the compartment overhead before sliding into the seat. He curiously notes that her cheeks are a little red as he settles down but his attention is pulled away as the intercom crackles to life.

"Welcome, welcome everyone, this is the bus over to Tokyo. It will be a long twelve hour drive but we will be stopping twice along the way. Please do not clutter up the aisle with bags or trash. It must remain clear in an event of an emergency. Please respect your neighbours and keep the noise down to a minimum. Lights will automatically dim down in the next hour or so. Thank you, and enjoy the ride."

Naruto sighs and he takes his time stretching his arms out, rolling and massaging his shoulders as he feels them start to cramp from the abuse his backpack put them through. He tries to contain his limbs to his seat but despite his best efforts, he ends up elbowing his seatmate in the side more than once.

"Sorry about that," he grunts as he tries to angle himself away from her. His elbow smacks her side once more as he readjusts himself. "Damn, sorry about that too." He winces, expecting a harsh glare or even a smack back but instead a light giggle and a sympathetic smile is what he gets.

"It's quite alright," she assures him. Her voice is quiet but articulate, soothing, the kind of voice he finds himself leaning towards to listen to more. "My little sister tends to poke me all the time, so I'm pretty used to it."

"Going to visit her?" Naruto asks. He rolls his shoulders once more and settles back in his seat, turning to talk to her properly.

"Actually, she and my cousin were the ones who pushed me to take this trip," she laughs, marking her spot and closing her book. She sets it down neatly on her lap, her movements concise. She smooths a hand over the cover and smiles in amusement, lost in thought. "I'm always working, and they wanted me to take a break."

"Have you ever been to Tokyo then?"

"Only for a few business trips, but I was never there for long," she admits. She glances up at him then, her long indigo hair sliding back and catching the faint light of twilight coming through the large bus windows. "Have you?"

"Nah, first time," he grins at her. He hesitates, but the interest in her expression encourages him to continue. "My… my godfather died recently, and he always took me traveling with him. I've been backpacking all over, as a kind of last hurrah to the old pervert. He wanted to take me to Tokyo, but never got the chance."

Naruto looks away. Three months later and Jiraiya's death still hurts him as much as the day he died, but Naruto has to admit that traveling had been a good idea. Iruka was the one to suggest it and being on the move, seeing new places, meeting new people did help him keep his mind preoccupied with something other than grief.

There is a gentle squeeze on his shoulder and he looks back to see her gaze at him with sympathy. His blue eyes search her face but he finds no trace of pity, of which he is grateful for.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she murmurs, and they are words he's heard over and over and over again since Jiraiya's death but she is so honest and sincere that he takes comfort in her condolences. She doesn't look uncomfortable at his grief, something he is also used to seeing, and he wonders what kind of person she is or what she's gone through to know what to do in a situation like this.

Goodness knows he's more likely to put his foot in his own mouth at times like these. Jiraiya was always quick to point that out whenever it happened, and those are memories that has Naruto chuckling sadly, but fondly at.

He reads the invitation in her expression for him to continue, if he wants, but there is no pressure, no invasive curiosity that he feels from her and he's grateful for that too.

"He was a good guy. He was always telling me about these ramen places in Tokyo that I'd love- ramen's my favourite food!- and he always wanted to see-" Naruto abruptly shuts up, his face going red. Jiraiya had wanted to peek at the city's red-light district, a desire Naruto had always been uninterested and unimpressed by, but that was definitely not something to tell a stranger upon a first meeting. Naruto clears his throat, stumbling as he tries to recover, "-the, uh, gardens."

Her face lights up, becomes vibrant with her enthusiasm, and Naruto's relieved when she doesn't comment over his obvious hiccup. "I was planning on looking at some of those myself! I've heard amazing things about Hama-rikyu and Shinjuku Gyoen. Do you like plants…" she trails off, her expression becoming confused. Naruto searches her face and realizes her predicament.

"Naruto," he introduces himself, smiling widely. "And yeah! Actually, I do like plants a lot. I've never really been in a place long enough to take care of them properly but... someday. I'll have a ton of plants and a big garden maybe someday. I'm guessing you really like gardening?"

She blushes then and looks away, fiddling with her book. Naruto backtracks in his mind, wonders what he said to make her withdraw so suddenly.

"I do love gardens and plants," she admits. "I… well, I really like pressing flowers. My mother used to do it with me, and she always told me how it's a way of preserving a memory. It's like taking a photo, but the thing about flowers is that some of the smell gets preserved too. Whenever you take a breath, you can remember the place and the moment you picked the flower that much more vividly."

She's looking at him again, her eyes reading his expression for… something. He doesn't know what, but he does know that the way she spoke, the things she described, touches him. For a moment, he thinks of the scent of ramen, of clean laundry at Iruka's place, of the incense sticks Jiraiya always carried, and remembers. Remembers those pinpricks of time, those split seconds where he felt like he was home, where he laughed so hard his gut ached, where he knew, instinctively, that he could live forever in those moments.

He blinks and refocuses on her, and when his brain catches up with his eyes, he notices how she patiently, expectantly looks at him. How the dark purples and deep pinks of twilight fill the view of the bus windows that she is framed perfectly by. How her eyes almost seem to glow as night creeps across the sky and darkens the bus, but the way she looks at him makes him wonder how he ever thought the colour white was anything other than warm.

She's as pretty as a picture, as pretty probably as the flowers she likes to press. Prettier. And Naruto can't stop staring because he wants to remember this moment, this snapshot of a girl he's only known for an hour and whose name he doesn't even know.

"I've never pressed flowers," he says, belatedly aware of how long it's taken for him to respond. "But I would love to learn." And he really would love to learn, and learn from her, because the way she speaks about it makes him want to see what she does, want to experience what she feels.

"It's not very hard," she assures him, and the way her eyes light up again at his interest makes him want to pick a flower right now and press it with her. She bends down and digs in a bag by her foot, her hair sliding forwards to obscure her face. Her sweater slips down to bare a shoulder and the sight leaves Naruto a little flustered. He coughs to distract himself and looks away until she's sitting up again, but he can feel a flush warming his cheeks and he thinks of the dirty socks in his bag he needs to wash, of the stockpile of postcards he needs to send to people, of the two-day-old sandwich he probably shouldn't have eaten that morning.

He glances at the slim album in her hands as she flips it open and he catches a name written elegantly on the front page.

"Hinata." He tries it out loud and he likes how it rolls in his mouth, how it sounds in the air. It's a beautiful name. She glances at him, startled, and this time she is the one who blushes red.

"I'm sorry, I never did introduce myself. Hinata would be me," she says, and then she's laughing quietly to herself. "I suppose better late than never."

"We have-" Naruto checks the watch on his wrist, "-ten more hours together. Chances are your name would've come up at some point. And the funny thing about bus rides like this is, I feel like I've known you for ages already, even if I didn't know your name."

Hinata smiles, and it's small but bright. "I know what you mean," she agrees. She flips to a page and Naruto catches sight of red flower- a poppy, he wants to say- before the lights in the bus dim and everything goes dark. The sky outside is a soft velvety blue with a scarce scattering of stars beginning to blink awake and the flashes of passing streetlights and traffic glide over Hinata's form and across her book.

"Oh, I think people are wanting to sleep," Hinata drops her voice to a whisper. She glances at the book and sighs. "You can't really see the flowers now."

"May I?" Naruto holds his hands open towards her and gestures. She looks confused- and Naruto can't blame her, he doesn't quite know where this is coming from either- but she gently hands the book to him regardless. He cradles it with care and brings it up close to his nose before inhaling deeply.

It's definitely poppy. The smell is familiar, tangy, and as he inhales again, the scent suddenly brings forth a memory to him, as strong and vivid as when he first experienced it.

"I was on a hike once, with Jiraiya," he recalls, and he's not even really aware that he's speaking out loud. The memory plays out like a movie in his mind and the story flows out of him, needing to be told. "We were up in some of the mountains of Kobayashi, totally lost- though it wasn't my fault this time! Jiraiya was pretty good at navigation actually, but somehow we ended up in kind of the middle of nowhere instead of in the city. I was pretty pissed. We'd been walking for most of that day and we ran out of water and it was super hot and I kept telling him we should double back and find the road again but he kept insisting on going forwards."

Naruto pauses, unsure if he is being a jerk by monopolizing the conversation but Hinata smiles encouragingly at him. She's turned to face him fully, her hands folded in her lap, and her eyes watching him with her full attention. He lowers the book and stares at the page, his mind piecing together what the poppy looks like pressed on the page from the flashes of light that illuminate it bit by bit.

"I thought he was just jerking around with me, but we went around a few farms and then I literally fell into field just completely covered in poppies. It was pretty incredible. There were red ones, white ones, orange ones, even some blue ones!" Naruto chuckles to himself. "I ran around like a six-year-old. I couldn't believe how incredible it was. We walked around that field for ages, just laughing and joking around. My stomach hurt, from how much I laughed that day." He remembers too, that deep satisfying bellyache and how the sensation was as delicious as a full stomach.

He looks up at her just in time to see her eyes flutter open, as if she is waking up from a dream.

"I could imagine it so clearly in my mind," she murmurs, and Naruto is touched that she made the effort to see what he saw. "He must've been a great man, for him to make you smile even now."

Naruto hadn't even realized he'd been grinning nostalgically at the memory until she pointed it out, and feels a warmth curl in his stomach, similar to how the laughter from the field filled his stomach. The warmth grows as he sees Hinata smile back at him, clearly sharing in his happiness, and he hurries to distract himself before starts wondering what it means.

"What is this flower to you?" he asks, because he can see some writing scrawled on the bottom of the page and a date. He doesn't want to read it without her permission, but he looks at her, invites her to share with him just as he had shared with her.

Hinata hums and takes the book to rest on her lap. She runs a finger along the outline of the poppy before smoothing over the words at the bottom.

"When we were very young, my sister and I were playing out in the front yard when I lost in her in a game of hide and seek. It was terrifying actually. I was so sure I knew where she'd been but when she didn't answer me after I started calling for her when our fifteen minute time limit passed, I panicked. My father was at work, our caretaker was cooking lunch, and… well, I've always looked out for her. Hanabi would always come to me when she was scared or wanted someone to play with. So I looked everywhere for her, even venturing in the forests that surrounded our home. They're actually very beautiful, the trees of the forest, but they seemed so large and frightening at the time, like monsters with claws coming out to grab me." She shivers a little at the memory, rubbing her arms, and Naruto sympathizes. He's had his own share of monsters haunting his overactive imagination.

"I don't know how long it took for me to actually find her. It felt like forever. Days, at least. It was probably only a few hours. But when I finally found her, she was fast asleep in a ring of poppies in the middle of a clearing and I remember spotting her because of how bright the poppies were in the dark of the forest. I woke her up and she picked some to bring back home. Hanabi told me that she followed a tree sprite and lost track of time.

We never could find that clearing again. We went back to look the next day, and we looked for it again over the years but we never saw those poppies again."

Naruto reaches out and traces the page with a finger in the silence that follows her story, taking it all in. He can see it, a younger Hinata, scared of trees that took on the form of looming monsters but plunging into the dark in spite of her fear to find her sister.

"That's really brave of you," he says, and her startled, if curious expression tells him that isn't a word she often used to describe herself. "Your sister is really lucky to have you."

"I'm very lucky to have her," she replies with a fond smile and her eyes dart across the open pages on her lap, following the flashes of passing streetlights dancing over her lap. "Hanabi balances me. She's always encouraging me to go out more and meet new people. She's always telling me to 'exercise the spirit of spontaneity'," Hinata laughs, smiling so widely that her eyes are like crescent moons and her cheeks begin to pink. She brings a hand up to cover her mouth and Naruto fights the urge to draw her hand to the side. Her smile warms her and he finds it impossible to look away.

"This seems like a great start," Naruto points out, stretching a little to ease the stiffness in his limbs. "You're going to a relatively new place by yourself and you've befriended a stranger!"

"You don't feel like a stranger though," Hinata yawns as she closes the album and tucks it safely in the pouch of the seat in front of her. "I feel like I've known you for a long time. You're very easy to talk to."

Naruto can feel a blush heat his cheeks as she stares sleepily at him, her eyes half-lidded. He feels like taking her hand and never letting her go, a compulsion he neither understands nor acts on. But it lingers in his mind and makes his fingers twitch, and he settles for smiling slowly and warmly back at her.

"It's easy to talk to someone when they're as kind and friendly as you," he admits. "Thank you, by the way, for showing me your flowers. It's pretty important to you, huh?"

"Mmm," she nods. She studies him for a moment, and he wonders what she reads in his expression. "Meiji-jingu is a beautiful Shinto shrine right by Harajuku station. It's very peaceful there, a good place to pay your respects. And in the courtyards, there are patches of poppies that bloom everywhere."

Naruto sucks in a breath as her suggestion hits close to home. His eyes wander to the album tucked in the seat pouch before looking back at her, his own eyes tracing her features this time, gauging her reaction. "Do you want to take me there? I wouldn't mind having company."

Her eyes widen in surprise and her cheeks darken. She's astonished for a moment and just as Naruto is wishing he could retract his offer and save her from the pressure of answering him- even if he really did want to continue being with her beyond this bus ride- she smiles widely, openly at him, delight clear in her expression.

"I would love to," she murmurs, and Naruto's heart races at her acceptance and he feels like he could fly.

His nerves hum in excitement and he stretches his legs out in hopes of unwinding himself a little before he gives himself away with how eager he is to spend more time with her. He grimaces at the lack of space, curses at having such long legs until Hinata reaches over to tap him on his thigh.

"Here," she whispers, her voice drowsy, and she tucks her legs up on her seat until she's curled like a cat, leaving the space in front of her free. "I'm more comfortable like this anyway."

Naruto hesitates then slowly stretches out in her space, adjusting himself until he curves around her. He glances at Hinata and sees her eyes droop and then flicker shut, her head nodding as she succumbs to the late hour. He watches as she drifts off into sleep, her breathing deepening and evening out, and her head gradually dips until she rests on his shoulder.

He slowly reaches for the seat pocket in front of him and rummages until he finds the complimentary blanket. It takes him a while to unfold it and drape it around them both, and he is careful not to jostle her awake at any time.

When the blanket is settled comfortably over them, Naruto turns until his nose brushes the top of her head. He closes his eyes and inhales.

She smells like lavender, and Naruto knows he will always think of her now when he smells that particular fragrance.

He watches the streetlights race on by like the ticking of a clock, marking the passing of time but, as he listens to Hinata's quiet and steady breaths, he thinks this moment feels more like forever.

He looks down and the smile that tugs on his lips instinctively at the sight of her is small, but gentle and fond. He feels warm by her side and he wonders if she wouldn't mind his company in exploring this new city together. He has a feeling that in the end, it wouldn't matter where he goes as long as she is by his side.

* * *

**AN: **It has taken me an age and a half to update this. I've actually got several WIPs slowly simmering away for this story. They've all been meatier stories though which require a lot more time and thought but things have been very worrying and stressful as of late due to my dog falling ill D: To distract myself I thought, let's do something quick and light and fun. I gave myself a one day time frame and now here we are. It kind of became an exercise in dialogue, something that's totally out of my comfort zone, which is great. There will be a second part to this au! Loosely related, though it could read on its own too. Thanks for reading!


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